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  • Pakistan says privatization of PIA to be completed in three months 


Pakistan says privatization of PIA to be completed in three months 

The Pakistani state carrier resumed its Europe operations with a flight to Paris on Jan. 10, marking the end of a four-year ban imposed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) over flight safety concerns. (AFP/File)
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Updated 06 March 2025
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Pakistan says privatization of PIA to be completed in three months 

  • Pakistan is looking to offload 51-100 percent stake in PIA, part of reforms under $7 billion IMF bailout program 
  • Pakistan hopes new European routes and flying approval to the UK will boost PIA’s selling potential
Updated 06 March 2025
Ismail Dilawar

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Privatization Abdul Aleem Khan said on Thursday the privatization process of loss-making national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) would be completed in three months. 

Cash-strapped Pakistan is looking to offload a 51-100 percent stake in debt-ridden PIA to raise funds and reform state-owned enterprises as envisaged under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund program approved last year. A final bidding process for the airline’s privatization last October attracted just one bid of $36 million for a 60 percent stake in the national flag carrier. The government had pre-qualified six groups in June, but only real-estate development company Blue World City participated in the bidding process, placing a bid that is below the government-set minimum price of 85 billion Pakistani rupees.

Among concerns raised by potential bidders for the PIA stake include policy continuity, honoring contracts, inconsistent government communication, unattractive terms and taxes on the sector, and the flag carrier’s legacy issues and reputation.

Officials say PIA’s cumulative losses alone are close to $3 billion, with the total asset valuation of the airline standing at approximately $572 million.

“Federal Minister further mentioned that to make PIA’s privatization more attractive, a new roadmap is being provided and it is expected that all stages of this privatization process will be completed within the next three months,” Khan’s office said in a statement after he met the Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan and discussed the privatization of PIA. 

Last year, PIA resumed operations in Europe, after a 2020 ban by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to ensure compliance with international aviation standards. EASA and UK authorities both suspended permission for PIA to operate in the region after Pakistan began investigating the validity of pilots’ licenses following a deadly plane crash that killed 97 people.

Pakistan hopes new European routes and flying approval to the UK will boost PIA’s selling potential.

“The privatization minister emphasized that there is an expectation of better expressions of interest from investors this time around as the introduction of PIA flights to Europe has made the privatization environment even more lucrative and favorable,” the statement said. “Due to recent measures, the national airline is ready to become profitable again.”

Khan added that PIA flights to the UK would also begin in three months. 

Topics: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026

Updated 01 March 2026
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Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026

  • Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
  • Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
Updated 01 March 2026
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.

Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.

Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.

Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.

“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.

Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.

Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.

“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”

Topics: Mahnoor Omer

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