ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will resume flights to Europe, US and other destinations by March, the aviation minister said on Thursday, as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has withdrawn its objections over the country’s 2020 fake pilot licenses controversy.
Pakistani carriers were barred from operating flights to Europe by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2020 after the country’s aviation minister, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, said 40 percent of Pakistani pilots had obtained dubious licenses.
The minister had said that these pilots had cheated on their mandatory license exams. His statement caused damage to Pakistan’s national flag carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), as its flights were restricted around the world, and also dealt a blow to the civil aviation industry’s image.
The statement from the minister came after a May 22, 2020 plane crash in Karachi killed more than 90 people.
On Thursday, however, the ICAO said Pakistan had resolved significant safety concerns over the pilots’ fake licenses issue
Sarwar held a press conference on Thursday to announce the “good news” for the new year, adding that Pakistan would also start flight operations to Central Asian destinations such as Tashkent, Baku and Bishkek.
The minister said Pakistan is hoping to resume flight operations to three destinations in the UK, London, Birmingham and Manchester. He said the country also wants to resume flight operations to Oslo and Paris in mainland Europe.
He said flight operations to Canada would also resume soon.
Speaking about the ICAO audit team’s visit to Pakistan, Sarwar said he had invited them to see for themselves how Pakistani authorities had resolved their safety concerns and taken steps to improve the training and licensing processes for the pilots.
During their visit to Pakistan last year, the ICAO audit team inspected Pakstan’s Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) flying clubs, observed the domestic flight departures and also visited Pakistan’s airports. They also examined the safety measures in place and received the pilot examination system.
The minister said the CAA had contacted UK’s CAA, EASA and the US’s civil aviation to inform them that the safety concerns raised by the ICAO had been resolved and asked them to lift the restrictions imposed on Pakistani-registered aircraft.
Pakistan to restart flights to EU, US, UK by March — aviation minister
https://arab.news/8mugb
Pakistan to restart flights to EU, US, UK by March — aviation minister
- Pakistan to resume flight operations to three destinations in the UK, Birmingham, London and Manchester
- Pakistan’s civil aviation contacts EU and US civil aviations, ask them to lift ban on Pakistani carriers
Pakistan eyes ‘heavy’ Chinese investments in 10 key sectors at Islamabad agriculture summit
- More than 300 Chinese and Pakistani firms attended the event focusing on fertilizers, seeds, smart farming and irrigation techniques
- Islamabad expects the conference to lead to investments in agriculture, food processing, livestock, farm machinery and renewable energy
KARACHI: Pakistan is expecting “heavy” Chinese investments across 10 key sectors, including agriculture, renewable energy and technology, the Pakistani food security minister said on Monday, as officials and business leaders from both countries gathered for a major agriculture investment summit in Islamabad.
The Pakistan-China Agriculture Investment Conference was billed by Pakistan as a platform for deepening bilateral agricultural ties and supporting broader economic engagement between the two countries.
Around 120 Chinese companies and over 190 Pakistani firms participated in the event that focused on fertilizers, seed varieties, machinery, precision farming and smart irrigation systems, according to the organizers.
Speaking at the event, National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said the conference’s objective was to project Pakistan as a place where Chinese enterprises could grow, innovate and succeed alongside Pakistani partners.
“Heavy investments worth millions of dollars are expected, with multiple MoUs [memorandums of understanding] likely to be finalized by the end of the day across 10 key sectors, including agriculture, food processing, livestock, fisheries, agri-inputs, farm machinery, renewable energy, logistics, technology and value-added exports,” Hussain said on Monday evening.
Pakistan’s exports to China reached approximately $2.38 billion in Fiscal Year 2024–25 that ended in June, while imports stood at $16.3 billion, reflecting growing demand on both sides despite global economic headwinds, according to the minister.
This performance demonstrated resilience and expanding opportunities under the China–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) framework.
Hussain said Islamabad was committed to supporting Chinese investors from regulatory processes to seamless coordination with all government departments and institutions.
“Together, Pakistan and China can push the boundaries of innovation, transform agri-technology, strengthen food security and reshape the economic landscape of the region,” he said.
The completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Phase I and the launch of CPEC Phase II marked a decisive shift toward industrialization, technology transfer, renewable energy and people-centric development, according to Hussain.
Both sides had signed over 40 MoUs in Sept. 2025, covering modern farming, livestock, fisheries, farm mechanization and advanced technology transfer.
“These initiatives are not just projects; they are lifelines of growth, confidence and mutual trust,” he said, adding that they aim to enhance productivity, expand exports, strengthen food security and ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Pakistan and China have been expanding cooperation in agriculture under the CPEC framework. Officials say stronger agricultural ties could help Pakistan boost exports, ensure food security and create jobs, while offering Chinese companies access to a large farming market and new investment opportunities.
Addressing the conference, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged Pakistani and Chinese agriculturists and experts to strengthen their existing partnership, saying that their sustained hard work and productivity gains could turn Pakistan into a surplus agricultural economy.
“Chinese experts are there to assist us and support us all the way to achieve this wonderful target [of becoming a surplus agricultural economy],” he said. “Now it’s up to us to generate this trade surplus through higher yields, comparative cost and, of course, highest quality.”
The prime minister noted that Pakistan’s policy rate was down to 10.5 percent down from 22 percent two years ago, exports were gradually increasing and macroeconomic indicators were stable.
“Now we have to move toward growth,” he said. “But then it requires solid, hard work, untiring efforts, blood and sweat. Without that, you will not be able to achieve your targets.”
