THE Pakistani public at large, especially the corporate sector, has welcomed the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) which has been ill-run over the decades. Now that there is a private consortium of different business houses, I strongly suggest not to keep the airline’s Human Resource (HR) department in Karachi.

This may sound absurd, but we are all familiar with how the new owners will be harassed for employing their ‘favourites’. Besides, there is also the menace of nepotism. The HR department should be based in Islamabad where both blue-collar and white-collar cadres should be tested and evaluated. No hiring or firing power should be based in Karachi. This should be considered my advice to the new owners.

Isphanyar M. Bhandara
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2026