Federal Minister for Defence and Aviation, Khawaja Asif, has rejected what he termed as unsubstantiated and malicious propaganda circulating about the flight safety and operations of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Khawaja Asif’s statement comes at a time when the government is actively engaged in the privatization process of PIA, with a new Expression of Interest (EOI) having been sought in April this year.
This renewed attempt by the government signifies a commitment to sell its stake in the national airline. The deadline for submitting the EOI was initially set for June 3 but was later extended to June 19 with the same terms and conditions. The government is seeking to sell a 51% to 100% stake in the debt-ridden airline to raise funds and reform loss-making State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), as mandated by the $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
The government’s first attempt to privatize PIA last year was unsuccessful, as it received only one bid, which was significantly below the required price of over $300 million.
Focus on Safety and Financial Performance
In a statement released on his X account, the Aviation Minister emphasized that there will be absolutely no compromise on the safety and quality of flights. He asserted that unqualified individuals cannot set the rules regarding safety when Pakistani and international regulators are present.
Khawaja Asif said that the government fully supports the efforts of Team PIA to make the national flag carrier profitable and expand its network.
He stressed that PIA flights are operating in complete compliance with the standards set by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and international safety protocols.
He highlighted that PIA’s average daily revenue has reached PKR 600 million over the last three days, achieved while maintaining the schedule of regular domestic and international flights without any disruption.
The Federal Minister accused certain quarters of spreading misleading news to damage national interests and sabotage efforts to revive the airline, stating that the government has worked tirelessly over the past five years to put PIA back on track.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that PIA continues to operate regular domestic flights and international routes, including destinations like Toronto, Manchester, Paris, Saudi Arabia, China, and the Far East, and intends to further expand its flight network to Europe and North America.
According to Reuters, it was reported on September 16 that PIA achieved a pre-tax profit in the first half of 2025, the first of its kind in nearly two decades, realized ahead of the anticipated privatization.
PIA, which is part of PIA Holding Company, recorded a pre-tax profit of PKR 11.5 billion ($40.64 million) during January to June of this year. In comparison, the company had faced a pre-tax loss during the same period in 2024 and only managed a marginal annual profit through deferred tax adjustments. The net profit for the first half of this year was recorded at PKR 6.8 billion.
