Nawaz constitutes committee to look into PIA affairs

E-Paper | May 03, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Friday constituted a four-member committee for restructuring and reforming of national flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

The decision was taken at a high level meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office to take stock of PIA affairs. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Minister for Finance Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Advisor on Aviation Capt. Shujaat Azeem, Shaukat Fayyaz Ahmed Tarin and Naveed Malik would be the members of the committee.

The prime minister directed the committee to come up with proposals and recommendations in the next meeting for addressing the problems faced by PIA in order to make it a viable entity.

The meeting discussed in detail the issues being confronted by the national flag carrier and the ways and means to address them.

Those who attended the meeting include Minister for Finance Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khakan Abbasi, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Advisor on Aviation Capt. Shujaat Azeem, Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin, Naveed Malik and senior officials of the prime minister office.

The beleaguered national flag-carrier is notorious among Pakistanis for delays and cancellations and its planes have suffered a number of embarrassing technical problems this year.

It has also been a subject of a case in the Supreme Court over alleged corruption and mismanagement.

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S Hassan Ali

Jun 14, 2013 09:05pm

In what capacity Shahbaz Shareef was attending the meeting? If Shahbaz was present then why not Qaim Ali Shah, Dr. Baloch and Pervez Khatak?

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Muhammad

Jun 14, 2013 09:13pm

Solution #1: Transfer PIA HQ to Lahore so that "talented brother" can personally control the operations.

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rosh

Jun 14, 2013 09:48pm

Give Laptops to PIA employees they will work good and honestly. Sab Chor even leaders.

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Kam East

Jun 14, 2013 09:48pm

Either sack most of its employees appointed on political grounds and re-organise it as a corporate entity or Close it down completely and hand over the planes to a Brand New Airline created by the government with private sector partnership.

Recommend 0

syd

Jun 14, 2013 10:07pm

Shahid Khakan Abbasi is the owner of Air Blue. I don't think he will look for the interest of Pakistan or PIA if it effects with his business interest.

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Ahmer

Jun 14, 2013 10:42pm

It is wrong to make the management or employees of PIA a scapegoat. What can they do when their fleet is barely airworthy with not enough spares?

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Sajjad Khan

Jun 14, 2013 11:41pm

The easiest way is to fire and get rid of lazy, incompetentand and corrupt staff. This once falgship of the country has been made a junkyard by equally incompetent and corrupt "managers"

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Muhammad Musa

Jun 15, 2013 12:33am

Professional management with authority is the way forward. Look at other private air line/s operating under same conditions, no need for any committee.

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saim

Jun 15, 2013 02:24am

PIA is a business, like any other business the management has three choices 1. Change the whole setup, inject funds and see if new strategy works for a limited period of time 2. Sell the business to someone who can run it better 3.Close the business. In the case of PIA the best course to take would be to sell the business to an outside source who can run it more efficiently. I am sure there would be many who would be interested. Emirates, Qatar, Etihad and others could take over, this way they will be no political appointees, no waste of money and above all Pakistan will not get such a bad name all over the world. There is no pride in running a business so badly that all we get is insults from around the world.

Recommend 0

Khalid

Jun 15, 2013 03:22am

Mr. Prime Minister, for over 60 years we have seen committees, change of management and throwing good money at bad again and again and again. We need to do something else as we have seen all this before (other governments as well as yours)

Recommend 0

Banoo3133@Yahoo.com

Jun 15, 2013 09:18am

Please drastically downsize the useless staff. Please prohibit free travelling by the hordes of these useless staff. Please suspend payment of pensions to old woods. Sack the present top management and put them on ECL These positive steps will save billions and billions.

Recommend 0

ajaz

Jun 15, 2013 09:54am

cut down on the number and perks of higher management.bring in experianced aviation experts withon the airline and do away with the political appointments.improve the on board service and groom the ground staff with manners

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S Hassan Ali

Jun 15, 2013 10:36am

why shahbaz shareef attended the meeting and in which capacity?

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S Hassan Ali

Jun 15, 2013 10:35am

why shahbaz shareef attended the meeting and in which capacity?

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Reader

Jun 15, 2013 12:49pm

How can a govt airline survive when it's workers receive free air travel plus other benefits after retiring from PIA or have left the service altogether early. There are thousands of fake employees who are receiving salaries even though they don't work for PIA or if they work but are not physically working and living a life of riley somewhere abroad. Employees time keeping in MOST govt organisations is laughable because the output is non-existent. PIA should learn from other foreign airlines.

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Mateen

Jun 15, 2013 01:17pm

The PIA is a fine example that shows why Pakistanis will prefer imported goods, why they prefer to move abroad where there's the rule of law, access to electricity and a functioning system free from corruption. But complaining aside, I hope Nawaz Sharif has some success in restructuring PIA to bring it to a dignified level. Last time I travelled with PIA was when I was 8 yrs old and that was 18 yrs ago. Since then it's been Emirates or Turkish airlines. Ironically, Arabs of the gulf are considered to be backward and savage in their mentality, but they're able to run an efficient carrierservice? Maybe its' because most of their managerial positions are held by Westerners.

Recommend 0

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