Islamabad, 26 November 2025: The 12th meeting of the Standing Committee on Privatization was held today at 2:00 p.m. in Committee Room No. 7, (4th Floor), Parliament House, Islamabad, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Muhammad Farooq Sattar, MNA. The meeting was convened to review the progress of ongoing privatization transactions being undertaken by the Federal Government.

The Committee directed to Ministry of Power Division that a detailed area-wise report on the installation of 1.5 million AMI meters across the country should be provided to the Committee. A formal briefing should be arranged for Karachi’s elected representatives to explain the reasons for not including Karachi in the current phase and to update them on the project’s progress. The Additional Secretary Power and relevant DISCO officials should share their contact numbers with Committee members to ensure direct communication and timely resolution of issues. Furthermore, the Committee should also assess whether the privatization of consistently underperforming DISCOs could serve

The Privatization Commission has approved the transaction structure for the second attempt to privatize Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL), involving divestment of 51% to 100% of shares with management control. Four bidders Lucky Cement Consortium, Arif Habib Corporation Consortium, Fauji Fertilizer Company Limited, and Air Blue Limited have been pre-qualified, while others did not meet requirements. Pre-qualified bidders have access to the Virtual Data Room, can conduct site visits, and participate in the pre-bid conference. Negotiations are ongoing to finalize commercial terms, advancing the privatization process. The Committee inquired about the timeline for completing PIA’s ongoing bidding process and directed that it be accelerated, with a detailed timeline presented in the next meeting. It emphasized safeguarding PIA employees’ jobs post-privatization, retaining staff based on performance and merit, and ensuring pensions, gratuity, and other benefits are processed fairly. The Committee also instructed consulting the PIA employees’ union and addressing their concerns to ensure a transparent and organized privatization process.

Following the completion of the due diligence and transaction structure reports regarding the privatization of the Roosevelt Hotel, the government after deliberations at various forums has approved Joint Venture (JV) as the preferred mode, along with multiple exit options. This decision was formally endorsed by the CCoP in July 2025 on the recommendations of the PC Board. Meanwhile, the former Financial Advisor, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) Americas, resigned due to a potential conflict of interest, after which the process for appointing a new Financial Advisor was initiated. In this regard, seven companies have submitted their technical and financial proposals, which are currently under review by the Evaluation Committee.

The Additional Secretary (Power Division) briefed the Committee that the Government has begun phased privatization of public sector GENCOs under the 2024–29 programme. Only operational plants will be offered, with Guddu (747 MW) and Nandipur (525 MW) identified for privatization after completing pre-conditions. Non-operational units, including JPCL, are proposed for delisting. The Privatisation Commission advised GENCOs may dispose of old, non-functional assets with Board and Ministry approval.

The following MNAs namely Dr. Muhammad Farooq Sattar, Mr. Anwar Ul Haq Chaudhary, Mr. Abdul Qadir Khan, Ms. Saba Sadiq, Ms. Samar Haroon Bilour, Mr. Nazir Ahmed Bughio, Ms. Natasha Doultana, Mr. Arshad Abdullah Vohra, Mr. Sanjay Perwani besides the Officials of the Ministry of Privatization & Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) and Power Division attended the meeting.