Misplaced priority

This refers to the news item ‘Major airports to be outsourced to improve standards: Shibli’ (May 20). One is at a loss to understand the urgency to consider such matter at this point of time when the country is in the midst of an extraordinary health crisis and as a consequence under unprecedented economic pressure? The life is going to be a different one after this pandemic and the world may witness a steep downturn in air travel.

Even otherwise, airports are considered strategic assets and have sensitive installations. It is ill-advised to turn them over to a private party on the pretext of improving standard. Pakistani airports are mostly used by its citizens or expatriates abroad. Pakistan is not a tourist destination and a very small number of foreign citizens use our airports. One does not know who is engaging our ‘innocent’ prime minister on such trifle issues and deflecting his attention from the formidable challenges that remain unaddressed.

Huma Arif

Karachi