Business Desk 
Dec 17, 2024
An image, showing a PIA passenger plane, taken through a glass panel, at Islamabad International Airport, Pakistan October 3, 2023. — Reuters
As Pakistan is facing challenges to privatise Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Minister for Aviation Khawaja Muhammad Asif revealed on Tuesday that the government would need to assume Rs800 billion in liabilities to facilitate the privatisation process.
In the parliamentary session, Asif responded to a calling attention notice about the non-operation of private airlines on mandatory and secondary routes within the country.
He mentioned that the total liability of PIA stands at Rs800bn, which is a huge obstacle in the privatisation of the organisation.
The minister also commented on the implications of the statement of former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan of the PTI government.
Asif said that such statements by the former aviation minister badly damaged PIA, leading to financial troubles and bans on PIA flights in the US, UK and many other countries.
But amid these setbacks, there are some positive developments in the aviation sector, as PIA flights to the United Kingdom are going to be resumed very soon. The UK-based team is supposed to arrive in January for an audit, which is supposed to open doors for their resumed service.
Additionally, flights to European Union countries have already been restored, led by sustained efforts of the government.
Asif also mentioned that PIA currently owns 15 aircraft but lacks smaller planes for primary and secondary routes within Pakistan. This limits the operational efficiency of the airline on domestic routes.
