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PIA Plane Seized: Aviation Minister reveals the reason for non-payment of dues

January 17 2021, 4:18 pm

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Islamabad, 17th January: Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan revealed that PIA couldn’t pay the lease on the seized aircraft due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Baaghi TV: Ghulam Sarwar Khan blamed the previous government for getting two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft on an expensive lease.

Talking to media on Saturday, Ghulam Sarwar Khan disclosed the planes were acquired by the PML-N government in 2015 on such an expensive lease that the national carrier failed to pay on time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He added that a case was being heard in a United Kingdom court but without giving the airline a chance to present its argument, a Malaysian court issued an order to seize the aircraft.

The federal minister informed that the next hearing in the UK court is on January 22 while the Malaysian court hearing is fixed for January 24.

Sources have revealed that the owner and director of the company that leased the plane to PIA are Indian nationals with offices located in Dubai, UAE.

It is pertinent to note here that the PIA plane which was seized at the Kulal Lumpur airport on Friday was taken on lease from a Vietnamese company in 2015.

A PIA spokesperson said the national carrier’s counsel is already present in Kuala Lampur and has been provided with all relevant documents.

Meanwhile, the passengers of the seized aircraft in Malaysia will arrive in Pakistan via Dubai today.

According to reports from Geo News, first, 118 passengers will arrive at Islamabad International Airport at 11:00 pm in-flight EK-614 while another 54 passengers will be brought back in flight QR-632 via Doha at 1:40 am.

Earlier, it was reported by Baaghi TV that the Malaysian authorities had seized the PIA’s Boeing 777 on Friday for non-payment of its lease dues.

A Malaysian court directed to confiscate the aircraft from KL International Airport with passengers on board.

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