ISLAMABAD: Bahrain has removed Pakistan and three other countries from its travel red list, which will be effective from September 3, state-run Bahrain News Agency reported on Tuesday.
On May 24, Bahrain suspended the entry of travelers from countries on a red list, which included India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The ban was imposed as part of Bahrain’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 cases in the country.
Other countries removed from the list include India, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
“The Civil Aviation Affairs has updated Bahrain’s Red List countries, in line with directives issued by the Government Executive Committee in response to recommendations made by the National Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus,” the news agency said, adding that pre-arrival PCR tests were no longer required for those entering the kingdom from non-red list countries whose vaccination certificates were recognized.
However, all passengers arriving in Bahrain would still have to take PCR tests on arrival and on the fifth and tenth days after their stay.
Pakistan and Bahrain enjoy traditionally close ties. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited Bahrain in July this year.
Bahrain removes Pakistan from travel ‘red list’
https://arab.news/rp2gg
Bahrain removes Pakistan from travel ‘red list’
- Bahrain suspended entry of travelers from countries on a red list in May
- All passengers still have to take PCR tests on arrival in the kingdom
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.
