Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) officials will appear before a court in the United Kingdom on January 22 and a Malaysian court on January 24 for failing to pay the lease of an aircraft on time, Pakistan’s Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said on Saturday.
During a media briefing, the minister claimed that the Malaysian court had issued an order without listening to any arguments by the national carrier, and blamed the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government for acquiring two aircraft on an expensive lease.
A PIA aircraft was held back by a local court in Malaysia on Friday due to a legal dispute between the airline and another party.
Taking to Twitter, Pakistan’s national carrier said: “A PIA aircraft has been held back by a local court in Malaysia taking one sided decision pertaining to a legal dispute between PIA and another party pending in a UK court. The passengers are being looked after and alternate arrangements for their travel have been finalized.”
A PIA spokesperson has said that the airline’s counsel is already presented in Kuala Lumpur and has been provided all relevant documents.