Seized PIA plane in Malaysia to be brought back soon, confirms official

ISLAMABAD - A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane, which had been seized in Malaysia due to unpaid dues, would soon be brought back, it emerged on Thursday.

A subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament chaired by convener Syed Hussain Tariq was informed about the issue related to the PIA aircraft by the Aviation Division.

During the session, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, a member of the panel, inquired about the PIA plane that was apparently seized at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to which the aviation secretary replied that one of the engines of the plane had been acquired on lease and the payment to the respective company had already been settled.

The aviation secretary assured the subcommittee that efforts were underway to recover the Boeing 777 as PIA's legal team was currently involved in addressing the matter in a Malaysian court.

When Senator Mushahid inquired about the timeline for the return of the PIA plane, the aviation secretary informed him that the plane would be retrieved by the time Senator Mushahid planned to travel to Kuala Lumpur the following week.

He emphasized that all the necessary documents proving the payment had been made already were presented before the Malaysian court.

The national carrier faced embarrassment when the aircraft’s leasing company approached a court, claiming that the PIA owed it $4.5 million; PIA disputed this claim, saying that it owned the aircraft.

The national carrier stated that the leasing company only owned one of the engines and it had already paid $1.8 million for it.

A PIA spokesperson said the passengers of the disputed plane had been accommodated on an alternative aircraft, adding that the disputed Boeing 777 would also operate as a normal commercial flight from Kuala Lumpur.