Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday emphasized the need to expedite the process of reforms and restructuring of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to save billions of rupees of the national exchequer.

Chairing a meeting about reforms in the PIA, he said taking out national institutions of losses, and making them active and stable was an important part of the present government’s agenda.

The prime minister said there was a need to expedite the reforms process in government institutions as the people had to bear the burden of their billions of rupees’ losses.

The prime minster said that by making the national institution like PIA profitable, it was necessary to ensure the best utilization of all its available resources in a transparent manner, besides expediting its administrative reforms process.

The meeting reviewed progress on reforms in the PIA, ways to save it from further losses and make it a profitable institution. It was told that after the induction of the present administration, the PIA’s losses had reduced satisfactorily and at operational level it was in a position to run flights without bearing any loss. However, it was informed that the COVID-19 situation had affected the efforts.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said the renowned writers could play their role to acquaint the country’s youth about the social values and national identity, for being popular in every social segment through their writings.

In a meeting via video link with renowned writers, he assured the government’s all out support for the promotion of national culture and identity.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Lt Gen (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa also attended the meeting.

The prime minister while underscoring the importance of highlighting national culture and Pakistaniat (identity of being a Pakistan’s national), said the education and training of the youth had been jeopardized by the modern communication tools, internet, easy access to objectionable content and onslaught of alien culture and traditions. He said the onslaught of the culture contrary to Islamic teachings and social values were not only imperilling our history, culture and social values but also reducing the youth’s knowledge about the Islamic personalities, sages and the national history. The prime minister said the government was specially focusing the reformation of the Pakistan Television to help revive its previous role of highlighting the national identity. He hoped that the private television channels could also play their part in that regard.