Pakistan International Airlines to expand operations in Europe after removal of four-year ban

Pakistan International Airlines to expand operations in Europe after removal of four-year ban
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane is parked at the tarmac at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, on January 11, 2025. (PIA)
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Updated 12 January 2025
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Pakistan International Airlines to expand operations in Europe after removal of four-year ban

Pakistan International Airlines to expand operations in Europe after removal of four-year ban
  • PIA flights to Europe were suspended after an air crash in Karachi that killed 97 people in 2020
  • The resumption of flights this week is likely to boost PIA revenue, improve privatization prospects

ISLAMABAD: The state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will expand its operations in the European Union (EU), a PIA official said on Sunday, days after a first PIA flight landed in Paris following the removal of a four-year ban.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspended PIA’s authorization to operate in the EU in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani aviation authorities to ensure compliance with international standards.
EASA, United Kingdom and United States authorities 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. In November 2024, EASA announced it had lifted the ban.
The Pakistani airline this week held a roadshow in Paris after its first flight arrived in the French capital from Islamabad on Friday, which was attended by Pakistani nationals and travel agents from all over France and Europe, according to the airline.
“Compatriots living abroad have given PIA a response beyond expectations,” PIA Chief Commercial Officer Nausherwan Adil said at the roadshow. “PIA will expand its network in Europe on a commercial basis.”
The Pakistani community demanded that PIA operate flights to other European cities as well, according to the airline. After the start of PIA flights to Paris, a clear decrease is being observed in fares of other airlines operating to Pakistan.
“PIA is taking all steps to restore its fleet. In the meantime, PIA is making access to Pakistan from other cities in Europe possible in collaboration with other airlines and train networks,” the airline said.
“In the light of the feedback received from here [at the roadshow], PIA will improve its service quality and meet the expectations of its customers.”
PIA, however, remains barred from operating flights to the UK and the United States. The airline flies to multiple cities inside Pakistan, including the mountainous north, as well as to the Gulf and Southeast Asia.
PIA, which employs 7,000 people, has long been accused of being bloated and poorly run — hobbled by unpaid bills, a poor safety record and regulatory issues.
Pakistan’s government has said it is committed to privatizing the debt-ridden airline and has been scrambling to find a buyer. Late last year, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price.
PIA posted losses of $270 million in 2023, according to local media. Its liabilities were nearly $3 billion, about five times the total worth of its assets.
The government hopes the opening of European routes, which officials expect will be followed by a similar announcement by the UK later this year, will boost PIA’s selling potential.


Pakistani top minister hints at increasing defense budget weeks after military standoff with India

Pakistani top minister hints at increasing defense budget weeks after military standoff with India
Updated 25 May 2025
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Pakistani top minister hints at increasing defense budget weeks after military standoff with India

Pakistani top minister hints at increasing defense budget weeks after military standoff with India
  • Budgeted defense expenditure stood at Rs2,122 billion for FY25 while actual expenditure till March 2025 was Rs1,424 billion
  • Pakistan’s historically large defense budget is attributed to a complex interplay of factors, including perceived threat from India 

KARACHI: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal hinted this week there could be an increase in Pakistan’s defense allocation in the budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, due to be announced next month, weeks after a military standoff with India that alarmed the world.

Pakistan and India attacked each other with missiles, drones and artillery earlier this month after tensions surged over an attack in April on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad has denied the charge.

“We want to try and put the least burden on the common man but right now I believe it is our national duty that in this budget we give our armed forces the resources they need to strengthen our defense capabilities so that our defense can be safe even in the future,” Iqbal said in remarks to reporters when asked about reports of an increase in the defense allocation for the new fiscal year. 

The conflict with New Delhi escalated on May 7 after India first hit Pakistan and Azad Kashmir with missiles, and Pakistan retaliated, saying it had downed six Indian fighter jets. 

Fighting between the two nations continuing for four days, with missile and drone strikes on each other’s military facilities and airfields as well as increased gunfire exchanges on the de facto LoC border. A ceasefire was reached on May 10.

“This has been established that our neighbor is a dangerous enemy, who once again attempted to attack us in the dark of night, but we punished them by fully responding to this offense and it [India] will definitely think a hundred times before committing such an aggression next time,” Iqbal added.

“However, our duty is to stay alert and prepared all the time so that if someone commits such a mistake in future, then it could be responded to more effectively.”

Two days after the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan New Delhi would target “terrorist hideouts” across the border again if there were new attacks on India and would not be deterred by what he called Islamabad’s “nuclear blackmail.”

“In the coming days, we will measure every step of Pakistan... what kind of attitude Pakistan will adopt,” Modi said, adding that India had only “paused” strikes.

In a report published on Saturday, Tola Associates, a major tax advisory and consultancy firm, proposed raising the defense budget to Rs2.8 trillion, a 32 percent increase compared to the last fiscal year, owing to a “war-like situation” with India.

“The budgeted defense expenditure stood at Rs2,122 billion for FY25 while the actual expenditure till March 2025 was Rs1,424 billion. [However], due to the ongoing war situation with the neighboring country, defense spending may increase by up to 50 percent in the Q4FY25,” the report said. 

“Given the current regional tensions and the need to ensure Pakistan’s defense preparedness, we estimate total defense spending to reach Rs2.4 trillion by June 2025.”

Pakistan’s historically large defense budget is attributed to a complex interplay of factors, primarily driven by regional security concerns and internal challenges. These include the perceived security threat from India as well as internal instability and security threats like terrorism. Additionally, debt servicing and the allocation of resources toward military interests have also played a role in shaping the budget.


Moroccan, Egyptian stalls shine at Islamabad food fundraiser featuring 80 diplomatic missions

Moroccan, Egyptian stalls shine at Islamabad food fundraiser featuring 80 diplomatic missions
Updated 25 May 2025
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Moroccan, Egyptian stalls shine at Islamabad food fundraiser featuring 80 diplomatic missions

Moroccan, Egyptian stalls shine at Islamabad food fundraiser featuring 80 diplomatic missions
  • Islamabad Foreign Women’s Association in collaboration with Serana Hotels holds international food festival for third consecutive year 
  • IFWA is a non-political, non-profit organization established in 1995 by the wives of ambassadors posted in the Pakistani federal capital 

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Foreign Women’s Association (IFWA) organized a food festival in the Pakistani capital on Sunday featuring cuisines from at least 28 countries and raising over Rs.2.5 million ($8,929) to support education and health care initiatives for poor Pakistani women and children.

The festival, organized for the third consecutive year, was a joint project of IFWA and Serena Hotels, with 80 diplomatic missions participating. IFWA is a non-political, non-profit organization established in 1995 by the wives of ambassadors posted in Islamabad, with the aim of supporting underprivileged and disadvantaged Pakistani women and children. 

Dianne Hawkins, IFWA president and the wife of the Australian High Commissioner, told Arab News around Rs2.5 million had been raised at Sunday’s event. 

“It is our major fundraising event of the year to support the charities that IFWA supports here [in Pakistan], which are mostly focused on benefiting vulnerable communities of Pakistani society, especially women and children,” Hawkins said, adding that most of the charities IFWA supported were in the education and health sectors.

Aziz Bolani, the CEO Serena Hotels, said that along with supporting underprivileged communities, the event also helped promote international cuisines and cultures through food stalls that represented countries from all around the world.

“There are real needs in Pakistan, and this is a form of diplomacy, a soft approach that brings people together,” he told Arab News.

Among the most popular stalls were those set up by the embassies of Morocco and Egypt. 

“Today, we are serving Moroccan chicken, Moroccan salads, and one of the main traditional dishes of Morocco, that is typically served every Friday, couscous with vegetables,” Moroccan Ambassador Mohamed Karmoune told Arab News. 

Homemade Moroccan breads and sweets as well as traditional tea was also available. 

Georg Steiner, the ambassador of Switzerland to Pakistan, said he hoped the festival would introduce more Pakistanis to Swiss food.

“We brought along some Swiss food like Rösti [potato dish], Zürich style veal, and also some excellent cakes,” he told Arab News.

He said he had tasted food at many stalls and his favorites were those serving Vietnamese, Czech, and Pakistani dishes. 

“I think Pakistani food is always wonderful, be it biryani or something else,” the Swiss envoy added.


Pakistani PM to meet Erdogan today in first leg of regional diplomacy tour

Pakistani PM to meet Erdogan today in first leg of regional diplomacy tour
Updated 25 May 2025
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Pakistani PM to meet Erdogan today in first leg of regional diplomacy tour

Pakistani PM to meet Erdogan today in first leg of regional diplomacy tour
  • Sharif will visit Iran, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Turkiye on five-day visit
  • All four nations supported Pakistan in recent military standoff with India

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday started a five-day regional diplomacy tour with a trip to Turkiye where he will hold talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, Erdogan’s office said.

Sharif will go onwards from Turkiye to Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan, four nations that openly supported Pakistan in a military standoff with India earlier this month when the two nuclear-armed neighbors traded missile, drone and artillery strikes for days, killing around 70 people on both sides. A ceasefire was reached on May 10. 

The conflict, the worst between the neighbors in decades, was triggered by a militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denies involvement. 

“During the meeting, bilateral relations, regional and international issues, including the fight against terrorism, will be discussed,” Erdogan’s head of communications, Fahrettin Altun, said on X.

The PM’s office in Islamabad released footage of Sharif departing on the tour and said he would hold wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan on “an entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance.”

“He will thank friendly countries for the support they have given to Pakistan during the recent crisis with India,” the PMO statement added. 

Erdogan spoke by phone with Sharif on May 7 to convey his solidarity after India first hit Pakistan and Azad Kashmir with missiles. Leaders from the two nations had several contacts subsequently and Turkiye publicly took Islamabad’s side. It is widely believed that Turkiye played an important role, besides the US, UAE and Saudi Arabia, in convincing India and Pakistan to back off and agree to a ceasefire. The two nations have historically strong ties. 

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part. They both acquired nuclear weapons in 1998.


At least 14 killed in Pakistan storms after heatwave

At least 14 killed in Pakistan storms after heatwave
Updated 25 May 2025
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At least 14 killed in Pakistan storms after heatwave

At least 14 killed in Pakistan storms after heatwave
  • A clip filmed inside a plane about to land in Lahore showed passengers screaming as the aircraft was tossed about by turbulence
  • Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, is grappling with increasingly frequent extreme weather events

LAHORE: “Destructive” windstorms that raged across central and northern Pakistan after an intense heatwave have killed at least 14 people and injured over 100 more, officials said Sunday.

Fierce winds, thunder and lightning swept across eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces as well as the capital Islamabad on Saturday afternoon and evening, uprooting trees and downing electric poles.

While the majority of the deaths were caused by collapsing walls and roofs, at least two people died after being hit by solar panels dislodged by the whipping gusts.

One man was killed and three others were injured by lightning strikes.

Mazhar Hussain, a spokesperson for the Punjab provincial disaster management authority, told AFP that such windstorms develop because of excessive heat, which reached above 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in recent days.

“There were three to four days in the recent heatwave where temperatures went up quite a lot,” he said, announcing 14 deaths in Punjab and 100 injured.

“This windstorm was particularly destructive. The wind speed was very high. There was so much dust in it that visibility was greatly reduced.”

The Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted more storms on Sunday.

Social media was replete on Saturday evening with videos of the damage the windstorms had unleashed.

A clip filmed inside a plane about to land in Punjab’s city of Lahore showed passengers screaming in terror as the aircraft was tossed about by turbulence.

The plane was later diverted to Karachi.

Other videos show cars crushed by falling trees and roads blocked by debris.

Pakistan, one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, is grappling with increasingly frequent extreme weather events.

Islamabad experienced several usually rare hail storms throughout April and May that damaged vehicles, smashed window panes and shattered solar panels.

Soaring temperatures in April and May are becoming more common in Pakistan, which usually sees summer begin in early June.

Temperatures reached near-record levels in April, as high as 46.5C (115.7F) in parts of Punjab.

Schools in Punjab and Balochistan have announced early summer vacations because of the heat.


First batch of Bangladeshi players arrives in Pakistan to play three-match T20 series

First batch of Bangladeshi players arrives in Pakistan to play three-match T20 series
Updated 25 May 2025
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First batch of Bangladeshi players arrives in Pakistan to play three-match T20 series

First batch of Bangladeshi players arrives in Pakistan to play three-match T20 series
  • The series will be held in Lahore, with the first T20 scheduled for May 28
  • Both squads will train at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Monday, the PCB says

ISLAMABAD: A group of Bangladeshi players arrived in Pakistan on Sunday to play three Twenty20 internationals (T20Is) against the ‘Men in Green,’ the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.

The three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be held in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, with the first match scheduled for May 28.

The first group of Bangladesh contingent arrived in Pakistan in wee hours of Sunday and two more groups will arrive on Monday, according to the PCB.

Members of Pakistan’s squad will assemble in Lahore on Sunday, while players participating in Sunday’s final of the Pakistan Super League will join on Monday.

“Both teams will train at 7:30pm at Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore,” the PCB said in a statement.

Bangladesh were initially scheduled to play five T20Is, but the tour was put in jeopardy following a cross-border conflict between Pakistan and India this month.

Both neighbors clashed for four days before agreeing to a United States-brokered ceasefire agreement on May 10.

Pakistan was also forced to reschedule its Twenty20 league — the Pakistan Super League (PSL) — after a ten-day break.

The Indian Premier League — the world’s richest cricket tournament — was also interrupted.