‘Much progress’ made on PIA flights, Dar says after raising issue during UK visit

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday said “much progress” has been made to resume Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) flights to and from the United Kingdom, where he is on an official visit this week.

In 2020, the revelation of pilots holding “dubious” licences prompted the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority to withdraw PIA’s permit to operate from three of its airports. The European Union had also suspended PIA’s flights in the same year.

Last month, Privatisation Commission Secretary Usman Akhtar Bajwa told the Senate Standing Committee on Privatisation that the process of privatising PIA would be completed by October 1.

Addressing a press conference with Pakistani High Commissioner Dr Mohammad Faisal in London, Dar expressed the hope that PIA operations will resume in the UK, stating that he raised the issue in a meeting with British Deputy PM Angela Rayner.

“I raised PIA in my meeting with Angela Rayner. It is unfortunate how the previous govt (the PTI) handled PIA; we have made much progress in that area.

“My visit was potentially very useful for Pakistan,” Dar asserted.

“We have made every effort, even we changed the laws as per the latest requirements of the Aviation Authority of UK to solve the issue of resumption of PIA flights,” the deputy prime minister said.

Dar said the government was taking action to privatise PIA and outsource Islamabad International Airport. He said that the process was moving on the fast track, expressing faith that it would be completed by October 10.

Speaking about the Pakistani diaspora in the UK, he said, “I believe that the British Pakistanis have proved to be the most articulate, the most diverse and the most effective and vibrant who are contributing not only to the development of the host country but also that of Pakistan.”

The foreign minister blamed the PTI administration for PIA’s suspension, asserting that an irresponsible statement by the then-aviation minister grounded the aircraft.

“We are hopeful that the deputy prime minister (Angela Rayner) will help because this is a major issue for our diaspora,” he said. Dar added: “In a recent meeting on August 24, we met with EU aviation officials and presented our case.”

He also highlighted how the British Pakistani community is one of the most politically active among overseas communities in the UK. “We have two cabinet members, 15 members in the House of Commons, 11 in the House of Lords and hundreds of councillors, and mayors and deputy mayors.”

‘Pakistan to raise 3 main issues as UNSC non-permanent member’

During the press conference, the foreign minister expressed gratitude for Pakistan’s ascent to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member.

“Thankfully, we were voted into the UNSC with 182 votes and only five votes against,” Dar said. He added that then-UK foreign secretary David Cameron was “one of the first to congratulate us”.

Dar pledged to fulfil Pakistan’s role as a member of the international community, stating: “We are performing an active role as a Security Council member and hope to work with the five permanent members to form an agenda.”

“We will fulfil our responsibility, be it on [India-held] Kashmir or Palestine, or Islamophobia. These are the issues I will bring to multinational fora,” he affirmed.

Regarding the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, Dar said that Pakistan has dispatched nine consignments of medical aid to the enclave through Jordan. “In Amman, the king of Jordan, the UN secretary general and the President of Egypt discussed the situation in Gaza. Pakistan was [ALSO] at that meeting,” he said.

The foreign minister added that he has invited medical students in Gaza to complete their degrees in Pakistan since most universities and hospitals in the enclave have been destroyed in Israel’s military campaign. “We are the only country thus far inviting medical students to complete their degrees,” he claimed.

“We have decided to accommodate them. If a Muslim is struggling, it is felt by every Muslim,” the deputy PM remarked.

‘Very positive’ meeting with British foreign secretary

Dar also mentioned his meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, describing it as “very positive” and saying that the two “discussed all things under the radar and under the sun”.

However, Dar highlighted that there is a “slowness” in Pakistan’s ties to the UK and said that there is a need to enhance the already deep relationship. “There is a slowness in our relationship, we need to bring it to the next level,” he said.

The foreign minister said that one way to deepen ties was to “raise our (Pakistan’s) trade value”. He added that the Pakistani diaspora is a “vital asset”.

Dar also mentioned an “exclusive scheme” with the Capital Development Authority in Islamabad, where members of the diaspora would receive plots of land. “This is an attempt to enhance our relations at every level,” Dar said, adding that his counterpart talked about granting free access for Pakistani exports.

He also mentioned that two newly appointed ministers of state at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office will visit Pakistan to offer “development assistance”.

During his press conference, the deputy PM also lauded the PML-N’s 2013-2018 administration for raising Pakistan’s GDP to 6 per cent and “making the country’s stock market the fifth-best in the world” at the time. He reiterated the government’s commitment to uproot terrorism from the country.