Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said efforts to revive Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are in full swing, including plans to restore its New York flight, as part of broader measures to privatise the airline and rebuild its lost reputation.
He credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership for what he called a “historic milestone,” adding that the national carrier will soon be presented to private investors as a fully functional and valuable asset.
The announcement came hours after the United Kingdom removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List — a major development that clears the path for Pakistani airlines to reapply for operations in the country.
“We are completing all essential processes first to increase the airline’s market value,” Asif said, noting that the government had followed the guidance of global aviation regulators to ensure smoother approvals going forward.
He confirmed that once privatised, PIA would be equipped with new aircraft and granted fresh international routes. “Overseas Pakistanis will be able to travel home more easily,” he stated. “Both time and cost of travel will be reduced.”
Asif also revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally monitored the airline’s revival and received regular progress reports.
“Many friends and colleagues worked hard to make this possible,” he said. “Today marks a historic and memorable day.”
Referencing PIA’s once symbolic service of transporting deceased Pakistanis’ bodies at no cost, the defence minister said, “Now families have to spend thousands of dollars. It was a shock for the Pakistani diaspora. Many have now purchased burial plots abroad.”
He placed the blame for PIA’s decline squarely on the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. “A ban was imposed on us during their tenure,” he said, directly pointing to former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan. “He criticised his own department and effectively invited international bodies to impose a ban on Pakistan’s airline.”
“To this day, he has not offered any explanation for his remarks,” Asif added. “Imran Khan is also responsible for this outcome.”
He said the ban had caused financial losses worth billions of rupees and dealt a serious blow to the country’s dignity. “Our trained staff had helped establish other airlines in the region,” he noted. “One individual erased all of that hard-earned reputation. What was his reason? That remains a troubling question.”
Asif confirmed that the situation was now improving, with Airblue also receiving permission to operate internationally. He praised the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), saying the European Union had regained confidence in the regulatory body.
He also commended Khawaja Saad Rafique for his role in aviation reforms over the past two to three years. “Today, we stand vindicated,” he concluded.
