Pakistan's government has agreed to sell its entire stake in PIA - Pakistan International Airlines (PK, Islamabad International), bowing to demands from bidders that the state divest itself from the struggling flag carrier for ease of decision-making.
PIA will see 75% of its shares offered in an auction on December 23, with bidders given the option to acquire the remaining 25% at a premium, ministerial privatisation adviser Muhammad Ali told Bloomberg. Some of the bidders reportedly want the government to sell-up entirely, the news agency added.
The reserve price will be set on auction day, Ali said, adding that the government hopes the target "will be met".
According to a report in the newspaper Express Tribune, the remaining one-quarter of the shares will be offered only to the winning bidder at a 12% premium on the bid price, with an option to pay within a year.
The state has also elected to receive only 7.5% of the bid money in cash, with the winning bidder given the go-ahead to invest the amount for the remaining 92.5% in the airline instead of depositing it in the exchequer, the paper said.
The country's privatisation commission confirmed in November that the auction would go ahead on December 23 following repeated delays. Four consortia are bidding to take control of the debt-riddled airline, following a previous attempt in 2024 that attracted a single lowball offer.
In preparation for the sale, mandated by the IMF as part of a USD3 billion bailout package, the government has been removing obstacles that previously deterred potential backers. These steps include settling PIA's outstanding debts, waiving general sales tax (GST) on new aircraft, and releasing funds to cover overdue pension payouts for former employees.