ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday set a one-week deadline for stakeholders to work out amendments to civil aviation laws and give the final touches to the plan for restructuring the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

Mr Dar, chairman of a high-level committee set up by the prime minister, has conducted consecutive meetings focusing on amendments to civil aviation laws and restructuring of the national flag carrier, which has struggled with its performance over an extended period of time.

An official source familiar with the development said the meeting featured extensive discussions to finalise the amendments aimed at segregating the functions of the CAA, PIA, and ASF. The objective is to eliminate overlapping responsibilities of these organisations through enactment of ordinances.

An official announcement said the committee was briefed on issues being faced by the aviation sector pertaining to regulation, service provision and security functions. The meeting discussed various legal solutions and necessary amendments required in the aviation laws or ordinances in order to enhance the capacity of the aviation sector and make it compatible with international standards.

It was emphasised that amendments to the aviation law should be approved by parliament no later than mid-July. This timeline is crucial as it would allow global aviation regulators to dispatch inspectors in August for an on-ground assessment of the operational systems and standards necessary to restore PIA’s operations to the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe.

Failure to meet this deadline would result in a year-long delay before inspections can take place. The suspension of these operations occurred approximately three years ago following a controversy surrounding pilots’ professional degrees and other aircraft safety standards.

Mr Dar told the authorities concerned to bring forward the appropriate legislation as soon as possible to ensure quick resumption of PIA flights to US, UK and Europe. He said another meeting would be held next week to review progress on the amendments.

The finance minister also chaired a meeting on matters related to restructuring of PIA. The aviation team briefed the committee about operational and financial challenges being faced by the PIA authorities and gave a presentation about measures that can be taken for the resolution of these issues.

Mr Dar asked the authorities to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for presentation at the upcoming meeting. He also directed them to finalise the restructuring plan before the incumbent government’s tenure ends on Aug 12.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2023