FBR unlocks PIA’s bank accounts

The Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) has restored “in the best national interest” the bank accounts of beleaguered Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), a day after freezing them, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

An FBR notification released on Thursday reinstated the airline’s three bank accounts.

As the tax recovery issue remained a contentious issue between the PIA and the FBR, the accounts were restored in the best national interest, said the sources, adding the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s delegation is on a visit of Pakistan which may lead to restoration of PIA’s direct flights to Europe, UK and the US.

On Wednesday, the FBR had frozen the PIA accounts for non-payment of taxes. The national carrier owed the FBR Rs4.5 billion, out of which Rs2.07 billion has to be recovered immediately.

The FBR sources also said that PIA has not filed its tax returns since February this year.

What could be described as great news for the PIA, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the UK’s transport department have given to the airline a ‘clean chit’ in their safety audit report, thus brightening up the prospects of the resumption of PIA’s direct flights to Europe in December.

Sources told 24News TV channel that the airline officials were over the moon as they were looking forward to the generation of billions of rupees in income after the resumption of flights’ operation. They added that teams of IOSA, IATA, ICAO were present in Karachi.

They also disclosed that already the national flag carrier had conveyed to different stations in Europe that it had started preparations for operating flights to different destinations in Europe.

Reporter Tayyab Saif