KARACHI: Britain’s Department of Transport has made “no decision” yet regarding the Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) restricted status in the United Kingdom (UK), a PIA spokesman said on Tuesday.
PIA was slapped with a ban by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), UK and United States (US) authorities after Pakistan opened an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses following a deadly PIA plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people in May 2020.
PIA resumed its operations in Europe in Jan. after EASA lifted its ban, however, the debt-ridden airline still remains barred from flying to the UK and the US. A delegation of the UK’s Department for Transport also visited Pakistan this year to evaluate the airline’s safety standards.
Pakistani officials have expressed hopes that PIA will resume flights to the UK in the next three months, but some local media outlets reported on Tuesday that the UK authorities had decided to keep the airline on their air safety list.
“No announcement has been made by the British Department of Transport nor has any letter been received,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan told Arab News. “No decision has been taken by the British Department of Transport yet.”
Khan said all Pakistani institutions related to aviation were in constant contact with the British authorities and carrying out their work in unison.
“Any speculation in this regard should be avoided,” he added.
Cash-strapped Pakistan is looking to privatize the debt-ridden PIA to raise funds amid an effort to reform state-owned enterprises under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program secured last year.
Late last year, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered $36 million for a 60 percent stake in the national flag carrier, a fraction of the asking price of approximately $303 million. 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.
Pakistan hopes new European routes and flying approval to the UK will boost PIA’s selling potential.
‘No decision’ yet on Pakistan International Airlines’ restricted status in UK — PIA spokesman
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‘No decision’ yet on Pakistan International Airlines’ restricted status in UK — PIA spokesman
- The statement comes after some local media outlets reported that British authorities had decided to continue their restrictions on the airline
- The debt-ridden airline was slapped with a ban by European, UK and US authorities after a pilots’ licensing scandal emerged out of a 2020 plane crash
Pakistan Navy seizes $3 million of narcotics in Arabian Sea under regional security patrol
- Official statement says the haul was made during an anti-narcotics operation conducted by PNS Yamama
- Seizure comes after a record haul of nearly $972 million was reported in the North Arabian Sea in October
KARACHI: Pakistan Navy said on Sunday a patrol vessel operating in the Arabian Sea had seized 1,500 kg of narcotics, the latest interdiction under a regional maritime security deployment aimed at curbing illicit activity along key shipping routes.
The operation took place under the Regional Maritime Security Patrol (RMSP), a Pakistan-led initiative that deploys naval assets across the Arabian Sea and adjoining waters to deter smuggling, piracy and other non-traditional security threats.
The framework combines independent patrols with coordination involving regional and international partners.
“Pakistan Navy Ship Yamama, while deployed on Regional Maritime Security Patrol in the Arabian Sea, successfully conducted an anti-narcotics operation, leading to the seizure of 1,500 kilograms of hashish valued at approximately 3 million US dollars,” the Navy said.
The interdiction, it added, underscored the force’s “unwavering commitment to combating illicit activities and ensuring security in the maritime domain.”
Pakistan Navy said it routinely undertakes RMSP missions to safeguard national maritime interests through “robust vigilance and effective presence at sea,” and continues to play a proactive role in collaborative maritime-security efforts with other regional navies.
The seizure comes amid heightened counter-narcotics activity at sea.
In October, a Pakistani vessel seized a haul worth nearly $972 million in what authorities described as one of the largest drug seizures ever reported in the North Arabian Sea.
Last month, Pakistan Navy units operating under a Saudi Arabia-led multinational task force seized about 2,000 kg of methamphetamine, valued at roughly $130 million, highlighting the role of regional cooperation in disrupting trafficking networks.
