Privatising PIA

The recent declaration to revive PIA’s past glory by the new CEO of PIA reminds me of similar declarations made by previous CEOs over the years. I hope the current chief executive is able to deliver on his promise. PIA’s downfall is disgraceful. The airline’s fleet has decreased and it only flies on fewer routes. After flying with PIA for over 40 years I have finally said goodbye to the national carrier, even though I am an unabashed patriot. In the early 1940s, the famous Urdu humorist Shaukat Thanvi wrote about a dream sequence in a hilarious essay called Swadeshi Rail.

He dreamt that after Independence, once the most efficient rail service hit rock bottom. However, he woke up and realised that the day of independence had not arrived and the trains were still running efficiently and on time. In the case of PIA, there is no waking up from the current nightmare. Painful as it is, let us not prolong the misery. The only solution is to privatise the airline and let the new owners manage the company without the excessive baggage of debt and overstaffing.

Dr Sayed Amjad Hussain

Toledo, USA