PIA’s profitable performance and Question of privatization…!?
By.Rahmatullah Buriro
The injustices of the country’s ruling class are such that if they were described, thoughtful people would be forced to commit suicide. Two big examples of which are that when the national leader and then Prime Minister Imran Khans govt became the Prime Minister and made a big statement of federal minister for the development of the nation and the increase in the country’s prestige,he made a statement like an amazing service for dignified people and said about the national institution PIA that the pilots of the national airline fly planes without training. Along with his friendship with the country and the nation, it took a single blow to restore the prestige of the national institution and flights to Europe were stopped.!! National leadership and patriotism came to the fore in the prime minister’s position. The institution, which was already suffering from many crises due to corruption, also faced more financial problems. As soon as the Imran government ended, the current ruling group under the leadership of Shahbaz Sharif accelerated the privatization process of PIA, and this became the talk of the national and international newspapers. Private institutions gave such a cheap language that even the assets of Karachi Airport were and are above that language. A recent news was published in the newspapers the other day that PIA, after more than 20 years of poor performance, has also given a profitable performance this year. The basis of which was explained by the Minister of Defense and Aviation Khawaja Muhammad Asif in a tweet that on April 9, 2025, Pakistan’s Minister of Defense and Aviation, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, announced that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) earned a net profit of Rs 26.2 billion for the fiscal year 2024, which is the first profit in more than two decades. The airline also reported an operating profit of Rs 9.3 billion. This turnaround is attributed to comprehensive reforms, including cost control, workforce rationalization, route optimization, and financial discipline. The government aims to use this improved financial performance to further PIA’s privatization efforts.
If such a great performance can be achieved in this one year, then what is the need to auction the institution that introduced the national flag as a flag bearer all over the world? Since the time of the Imran government, PIA flights to Europe have been banned.!! But if more profits can be made by bringing PIA’s performance and prestige to the better situation in the world, this profit can be double and tripled. Senior politicians like Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the minister associated with the PIA ministry, consider the country’s national and institutional reputation and prestige to be better. If PIA has performed well during the time of these senior and dignified political rulers, then even better performance can be achieved. For this, the first step is to stop the privatization of institutions like PIA, Steel Mills and Pakistan Railways and emphasize on supporting national prestige and patriotism.? In this regard, the national institution NAB should also investigate the corruption and malice of the rulers and the circles involved in the past and punish them appropriately. Enough. It is with great regret that it is written here that the Minister has written the last sentence in his Twitter message for the privatization process, so instead of restoring national, civil and institutional betterment and dignity, it seems to have caused trouble to the nation. Which has been stated above. The national institutions of the country, including PIA, Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan Railways and Pakistan Post Office, are numerous institutions whose ineffective performance raises many questions for national politicians and national rulers and institutional heads. The period of ruthless politics and governance of the past 40 years has become a major reason for the destruction of national institutions.!! Everyone is responsible for this, including the current rulers and the political leaders of the country. The rest is nothing but filing false cases against each other, including slandering and accusing each other, which is nothing to joke with the nation. Despite all these things, it is time for the national leadership of the country and the national rulers to work together for the country, the nation and national institutions. If this does not happen, So, it is in front of everyone that a national institution like Steel Mills is under the threat of auction and privatization. If the Supreme Court had not intervened in the past, Shaukat Aziz would have been auctioned during the Pervez Musharraf era. The good performance of Pakistan Railways is a victim of bad performance. Many mail trains have also been privatized, leaving the institution at the mercy of bureaucracy and corruption of private institutions. Similarly, when we see the performance of a national institution like Pakistan Post Office, it also hurts. So much so that now the employees of the railways and the post office do not receive retirement money for many years?!
In this situation, the performance of PIA, which was undergoing the privatization process, has improved, so by improving this performance, PIA can be saved from the privatization process. If the ruling leadership and political leadership do not understand this today, then such an opportunity may not be available again. The question is that there is no clause on the intention of PIA Minister Khawaja Asif that he or his government will take PIA into the privatization process. Whereas a few months ago, when the current government was newly formed, talks were intensified for the privatization of PIA. At that time, different statements were made by the Chief Ministers of KPK, Punjab and even Sindh provinces, which gave rise to many questions about federalism or state centralism. Therefore, in any crisis of national affairs, it would be better if decisions were taken by convening the Council of Common National Interests. And yes, it is also possible that because Khawaja Asif, who is also the relevant minister of PIA, has also indicated in his tweet statement to the companies participating in the privatization process and it is possible that bringing profits is a signal to attract attention. Therefore, the National Accountability Bureau will have to examine all these aspects. So that no national debt is incurred. Before getting involved, take precautions. These can be a good practice for national defense and the well-being of the national institution.
