The national treasury suffered a loss of Rs 9.43 billion over six years due to free and discounted tickets, according to an audit report.
More than 258,000 free tickets were issued between 2011 and 2016, with over 116,000 tickets given at a 95 per cent discount.
In 2011, 58,861 free tickets were issued, followed by 51,692 in 2012. The numbers were 56,815 in 2013 and 43,077 in 2014. In 2015, 21,816 free tickets were distributed, and 26,729 in 2016.
The audit revealed that many of the discounted tickets were given to individuals who were not employees of PIA. Discounts were granted without approval from the chairman or managing director, said the Auditor General of Pakistan.
Despite multiple reminders, no meeting was convened on the matter until 2023. The Auditor General recommended the immediate abolition of the free ticket policy.
Since 2018, free tickets have been completely banned following a Supreme Court order, a PIA spokesperson confirmed. The tickets had been issued under an agent incentive scheme to boost sales.
The audit paragraph is nine years old, and meetings of the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) are convened by the relevant ministry. The spokesperson added that the renewed attention to the audit may be due to pressure from specific groups.
