Islamabad: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has strongly criticized former Prime Minister Imran Khan and ex-Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, accusing them of causing serious damage to Pakistan’s national airline, PIA. He said their actions turned the airline into a “graveyard,” and now it’s the government’s duty to determine how and why the bans were placed on it.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, the minister welcomed the lifting of flight bans by the UK, calling it a major milestone. He noted that the ban had not only damaged Pakistan’s international reputation but also caused billions of rupees in financial losses.
Asif revealed that apart from PIA, one private Pakistani airline has also been cleared by the UK for operations. The government is now working to restore direct flights to New York and is applying for operating licenses abroad to expand international routes.
He blamed Ghulam Sarwar Khan’s false statements and mismanagement during his tenure as aviation minister for the ban. “It was a national-level blunder,” Asif said, adding that Imran Khan shared equal responsibility for the crisis. “Together, they turned our national carrier into a graveyard,” he remarked.
The Defence Minister added that institutional accountability is necessary. The federal cabinet will collectively decide what kind of action will be taken against those responsible. He also said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally oversaw efforts to revive PIA over the last three years.
With the UK ban lifted, Asif noted that PIA can now be privatized at a better value. “The doors of the global aviation industry are now open to us again,” he said. “Passengers can soon fly directly to London without going through Dubai.”