Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar has summoned the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) managing director along with an audit report of the national flag carrier.
According to a statement by the Supreme Court on Friday, the chief justice has summoned the PIA chief in person on April 12.
The PIA managing director has been directed to bring with him a 10-year audit report of the airlines as well as the account statement of the last decade.
According to a Radio Pakistan on April 1, the Supreme Court took notice of PIA's decision to give up profitable routes to other airlines and the intended privatisation of the airline.
The court had also reportedly directed that no fresh recruitment shall be made in the PIA.
The loss-making national airline has accumulated vast debt over several years owing to official mismanagement.
The present government earlier attempted to privatise part of the airline, including its management, but the plans were put on the backburner after opposition from other political parties and the airline's staff.
According to a Reuters report, PIA was among 68 state-owned companies earmaked for privatisation in return for a $6.7 billion International Monetary Fund package that helped the government stave off a default in 2013, when it came to power.
Despite some initial success, the process stalled in 2016 after staff protests caused havoc with PIA operations and the government passed a law that effectively made it impossible to privatise the airline.
