ISLAMABAD: As Christians celebrated Christmas on Tuesday in Pakistan with zeal and zest, the country’s top political leadership extended their good wishes to the community and vowed to provide equal rights and opportunities to all citizens.
Authorities, on their part, deployed additional law enforcement personnel to ensure tighter security for the occasion.
President Arif Alvi in his message extended his “warmest greetings” to the community in a statement released by his office. “Much more than festivity and celebration, the spirit of Christmas is to share, to reach out, and to love all humanity,” it read.
He commended the sincere efforts of the Christian community toward the socio-economic development of the country. “I also take this opportunity to pay a rich tribute to the sacrifices made by our Christian brethren in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism,” he said.
In his message, President Alvi added that the government of Pakistan upholds the principle of equal rights and freedom for all its citizens irrespective of caste, creed, or religion.
“We are committed to building a society that respects differences and finds strength in diversity; a nation that is tolerant and cohesive; and a state that provides equal rights and opportunities to all citizens,” he said, adding that “our Christian brethren are an integral part of our multicultural polity; and together we are building a strong and prosperous Pakistan, for ourselves and our children.”
President Alvi lauds Christian community’s sacrifices for Pakistan
President Alvi lauds Christian community’s sacrifices for Pakistan
- Vows to build a society that respects differences and celebrates diversity
- Authorities deploy additional law enforcement personnel for tighter security around Christmas
IMF hails Pakistan privatization drive, calls PIA sale a ‘milestone’
- Fund backs sale of national airline as key step in divesting loss-making state firms
- IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce fiscal burden posed by state-owned entities
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Saturday welcomed Pakistan’s privatization efforts, describing the sale of the country’s national airline to a private consortium last month as a milestone that could help advance the divestment of loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
The comments follow the government’s sale of a 75 percent stake in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to a consortium led by the Arif Habib Group for Rs 135 billion ($486 million) after several rounds of bidding in a competitive process, marking Islamabad’s second attempt to privatize the carrier after a failed effort a year earlier.
Between the two privatization attempts, PIA resumed flight operations to several international destinations after aviation authorities in the European Union and Britain lifted restrictions nearly five years after the airline was grounded following a deadly Airbus A320 crash in Karachi in 2020 that killed 97 people.
“We welcome the authorities’ privatization efforts and the completion of the PIA privatization process, which was a commitment under the EFF,” Mahir Binici, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, said in response to an Arab News query, referring to the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility.
“This privatization represents a milestone within the authorities’ reform agenda, aimed at decreasing governmental involvement in commercial sectors and attracting investments to promote economic growth in Pakistan,” he added.
The IMF has long urged Islamabad to reduce the fiscal burden posed by loss-making state firms, which have weighed public finances for years and required repeated government bailouts. Beyond PIA, the government has signaled plans to restructure or sell stakes in additional SOEs as part of broader reforms under the IMF program.
Privatization also remains politically sensitive in Pakistan, with critics warning of job losses and concerns over national assets, while supporters argue private sector management could improve efficiency and service delivery in chronically underperforming entities.
Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises said on Friday that SOEs recorded a net loss of Rs 122.9 billion ($442 million) in the 2024–25 fiscal year, compared with a net loss of Rs 30.6 billion ($110 million) in the previous year.
