ISLAMABAD: History is in the making as Pakistan take on Saudi Arabia in the FIFA World Cup qualifier in the kingdom on Thursday after getting into the group stage for Asian teams for the first time in over two decades.
Last month, Pakistan men’s football team beat Cambodia 1-0 to win their first ever World Cup qualifier at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad after midfielder Harun Hamid scored a stellar goal against the rival squad.
The victory propelled Pakistan to the next level where they would face impressive football teams like Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Jordan in Group G of the second round of the World Cup qualifiers. A total of 36 football squads have been split into nine groups with four teams each. The winners and runners-up from each group would progressing through to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers.
“The national football team has been practicing in Al Ahsa,” the Pakistan Football Federation said in a brief statement on Sunday. “They will play their first match of the second round on November 16 against Saudi Arabia.”
Thursday’s World Cup qualifier is expected to be tough for Pakistan since the Saudi Arabia have already played in the last World Cup organized in Qatar.
They also secured a stunning victory against Argentina that ultimately won the tournament, following an impressive goal by Salem Mohammed Shafi Al-Dawsari.
Pakistan to face Saudi Arabia in historic FIFA World Cup qualifier in Al Ahsa today
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Pakistan to face Saudi Arabia in historic FIFA World Cup qualifier in Al Ahsa today
- Pakistani football players have never advanced so far in World Cup qualifiers in the past
- They are part of Group G in the second qualifying round and will also face Jordan and Tajikistan
Pakistan set to auction loss-making national airline in live broadcast tomorrow
- This is Pakistan’s third attempt at PIA privatization, following a failed 2024 auction that got only one bid
- Islamabad plans to retain PIA name and branding, expand fleet and route network under the new business plan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to broadcast live the auction of its loss-making national airline tomorrow, Pakistani state media reported on Monday, a move authorities say is aimed at ensuring transparency.
Pakistan will privatize 75 percent of the carrier, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), while retaining its name and branding, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Office.
The decision marks Islamabad’s most aggressive push in decades to reform the debt-ridden airline, which has accumulated more than $2.5 billion in losses and become a major burden on the national budget.
Pakistan prequalified in July four consortiums for the sale, but Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd. withdrew later. Lucky Cement and Arif Habib Corporation lead two other consortiums, while private airline Airblue is the third contender.
“The government plans a full divestment of the airline, beginning with the auction of a 75 percent stake on Tuesday, with the remaining 25 percent to be offered later at a 12 percent premium,” Pakistan TV Digital reported quoted Privatization Commission Chairman Muhammad Ali as saying.
Once regarded as one of Asia’s premier carriers, PIA has struggled with chronic mismanagement, political interference, overstaffing, mounting debt and operational issues that led to a 2020 ban on flights to the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States (US) after a pilot licensing scandal. Privatizing the airline is also a key requirement under Pakistan’s $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program agreed last year.
This is Pakistan’s third attempt at PIA privatization, following a failed 2024 auction that received only one bid of $35 million that was far below the government’s nearly $300 million asking price, according to Privatization Commission records.
The government is targeting $302 million in privatization proceeds this year, though Ali said restoring PIA operations remains a priority over maximizing short-term revenue. Islamabad plans to expand PIA fleet and route network under the new business plan.
Ali last month said the government had aimed to finalize the airline’s sale by October 2025 but the target was missed due to delays in restructuring and valuation.
The PIA sale is seen as a key test of Pakistan’s broader economic reform agenda as the government seeks to cut losses from state-owned enterprises and revive investor confidence.
Islamabad has launched a five-year privatization plan covering 24 state entities between 2024 and 2029, including the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, three banks, power distribution companies, and the Postal Life Insurance Company, according to the Privatization Commission.
