The assumption was simple; PIA was too politically sensitive, too unionized, and too symbolic to touch. With the privatization of PIA, a long-standing misfortune appears to have been broken. PIA once a regional aviation leader, trained staff for foreign airlines and helped launch carriers across Asia and the Middle East. Fiscal discipline, civil service reform, and regulatory strengthening are harder, slower, and less headline-friendly — but without them, no privatization can deliver durable benefits. The challenge now is to ensure it was a step forward, not merely a step taken.

Source: The Patriot December 25, 2025 19:22 UTC