Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said Wednesday that efforts are being made to revive Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), including the restoration of his New York flight, as part of broader plans to privatize the national carrier and rebuild his reputation.
He accredited the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, so he called a “historical milestone” and announced that the airline would soon be offered to private bidders as a fully functional and valuable asset.
Today early, the United Kingdom eliminated Pakistan from its air security list, clearing the way for Pakistani airlines to request flight operations to the country.
“First we are completing all the essential processes to increase the market value of the airline,” he said, adding that the government had closely followed the guide of aviation regulators to relieve future approvals.
Asif confirmed that once privatized, Pia would be equipped with new aircraft and would be received new international routes.
“Pakistani abroad can travel home more easily,” he said. “Both time and the cost of trips will be reduced.”
He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally monitored the reactivation process and received periodic updates.
“Many friends and colleagues worked hard to make this possible,” said the Minister of Defense. “Today marks a historic and memorable day.”
Read: The United Kingdom eliminates Pakistan from the air security list
The minister said that PIA once transported the bodies of the deceased Pakistani without charge, a service now lost. “Now families have to spend thousands of dollars,” he said. “It was a shock for the Pakistani diaspora. Many have now bought burial plots abroad.”
Asif blamed Pia’s decline to the previous Government of Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI). “We were imposed by a prohibition during his mandate,” he said. “Ghulam Sarwar criticized his own department and effectively invited international organizations to impose a prohibition of Pakistan airline.”
“To this day, he has not offered any explanation for his comments,” Asif said. “Imran Khan is also responsible for this result.”
He said that the prohibition caused financial losses worth bills of rupees, but more harmful was the coup for national dignity. “Our trained staff had helped establish other airlines in the region,” he said. “An individual erased all that reputation won with so much effort. What was his reason? That is still a worrying question.”
Asif said the problem was now being solved and confirmed that Airblue had also been granted permission to operate internationally. He praised the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), saying that the European Union had regained confidence in the body.
He also praised Khawaja Saad Rafique for his contributions to aviation reform in the last two or three years. “Today, we are claimed,” he concluded.
