In a critical development, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) froze the accounts of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Wednesday, coinciding with the presence of a delegation from the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in Pakistan. Simultaneously, the Pakistan State Oil issued a warning, threatening to halt oil supply to the airline if outstanding dues were not settled by today (Thursday).
Expressing dismay, a PIA spokesperson informed Dawn that the decision to freeze accounts during the EASA delegation’s assessment of flight safety in the country was unfortunate. The airline’s management is reportedly in contact with the FBR, which has frozen a total of 28 PIA accounts. The spokesperson expressed hope for a prompt resolution to the issue.
This freeze comes in the aftermath of EASA prohibiting PIA from operating flights to Europe in 2020 after a plane crash in Karachi on May 22, 2020. The ban was instated following revelations by former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, stating that 40% of Pakistani pilots held questionable qualifications.
On Wednesday, a four-member EASA delegation inspected various aspects of PIA’s operations, including the apron, engineering area, and flight safety tools in Karachi. The team had previously scrutinized measures implemented by the Civil Aviation Authority regarding pilot licenses and airworthiness on Tuesday.
The airline faces a challenging situation as it navigates financial hurdles and endeavors to restore international flight operations.
