Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat

Congratulations to all the DSPs who got promoted in Balochistan.

PIA Privatization: A Reality Check, Not a Tragedy

Let’s pause the outrage for a second. PIA’s privatization is not a national tragedy. It is a long delayed reality check.
After more than two decades of paralysis, Pakistan has finally privatized something that actually mattered. Seventy five percent of PIA has been sold for Rs135 billion to a consortium led by Arif Habib. The number matters, but what matters more is what this finally ends: a deeply unhealthy arrangement where ordinary Pakistanis kept paying for an airline that simply refused to stop losing money. As the meme goes, har dafa taxpayer hi kyun adjust kare.
The uncomfortable truth is that PIA was not unlucky. It was structurally broken. Since 2012 alone, it piled up losses exceeding seven billion dollars. Total debt ballooned to around Rs742 billion by 2024. In the last decade, cumulative losses crossed Rs500 billion, with average annual losses hovering around Rs50 billion and peaking disastrously in 2023. This was not a bad year problem. It was a system problem that kept compounding.
Overstaffing was not a side issue, it was the core issue. Around 300 employees per aircraft in a fleet where barely half the planes were even operational. Political interference was routine. Professional management was optional.
And that much advertised profit in 2024 needs to be seen for what it really was. It was not a turnaround. It was accounting after the government quietly absorbed more than Rs670 billion in debt just to make the airline sellable. Revenues actually fell. Without privatization, nothing fundamental would have changed. Losses would have continued. Bailouts would have continued. Only the excuses would have improved. As Twitter would put it, system hi aisa hai.
This deal is not just a sale. It is a reset. Almost all of the proceeds go straight back into PIA for reinvestment. Fresh capital is coming in. The fleet is expected to grow from roughly 14 usable aircraft to more than 38. With Europe and UK bans lifted and professional management in place, PIA finally has space to breathe.
Jobs are protected in the initial phase, and Pakistan’s own experience should calm the nerves. When Pakistan’s banks were privatized, they did not collapse. They became efficient, competitive, and boring in the best possible way. As another meme neatly sums it up, government ke under sab chalta hai, private mein sirf kaam chalta hai.

Then comes the loudest criticism: that PIA was sold too cheaply, that the planes alone are supposedly worth hundreds of billions. It sounds dramatic, but it ignores how airlines are actually valued. PIA’s aircraft are old, on average more than eighteen years. Older planes burn more fuel, break down more often, and cost far more to maintain.
Much of the heavy maintenance and engineering work is already outsourced because PIA does not fully have the capability in house. That is not a premium asset. That is a warning sign. You cannot value an airline by counting metal and ignoring debt, losses, efficiency, and future investment needs. That is like insisting a house is priceless while the roof is leaking and the electricity has already been cut.

At Rs 135 billion for seventy five percent, PIA’s total valuation comes to around Rs180 billion. For an airline that was draining the national exchequer year after year, this is not a giveaway. It is a price grounded in reality. Or in plain Urdu, gaari chamak rahi hai, lekin engine masla kar raha hai.
This is bigger than PIA. For decades, Pakistan treated state owned enterprises as emotional symbols rather than economic entities. The result was predictable. Losses were socialized. Accountability disappeared. Taxpayers kept paying for mistakes they did not make.
Privatization changes that equation. It brings capital, discipline, and most importantly, consequences.
PIA once proudly said Great People to Fly With. For the first time in a long time, it has a real chance to mean it again. This is not selling the family silver. This is stopping the bleeding. Der aaye, durust aaye. For once, Pakistan chose reform over nostalgia, and that is something worth backing.

A meeting on the revamping of the Home Department is being chaired by ACS Home, focusing on institutional reforms and improved service delivery.

The meeting focused on inter-departmental coordination, security arrangements, and protection of critical infrastructure to ensure smooth implementation of projects.

ACS (Home) chaired a meeting to review coordination and progress of the Poppy Eradication Campaign 2025–26 at the pre-sowing stage.

Presenting the case for outsourcing solid waste management at Oxford University

Speaking at Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University Making the case for privatization in solid waste management before a global cohort of civil servants from 30 countries, selected as Public Leaders for 2025

A historic moment unfolded in Sui as over 100 individuals, led by Wadera Noor Ali Chakarani, laid down arms and joined the national mainstream under the peace-driven leadership of Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti. The event highlighted the government’s commitment to stability and reintegration.

Efforts are underway to digitize local domicile certificates, making the process faster, easier, and accessible for every citizen—so people can get essential documents without delays or unnecessary visits.

During a field survey in Mekhtar, one acre of illegally cultivated cannabis was identified and destroyed to protect the community from drug-related risks and ensure a safer, healthier environment for local residents.

The Home Department, Government of Balochistan, is ensuring the safe and dignified transportation of illegal Afghan nationals to designated exit points under full security arrangements.

Police & Levies Merger: Exclusive Podcast with Additional Chief Secretary Home |NazrbanBalochistan Title: Nuqta e Nazar Host: Mehmood Baloch Guest: Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat ( Additional Chief Secretary Home ) A special podcast has been prepared focusing on the merger of Police and Levies. The discussion will cover potential benefits, challenges, and its impact on the public. The Chief Secretary Home has been invited to share insights and guidance, making the podcast highly informative and engaging. #PoliceLeviesMerger #BalochistanNews #LawEnforcement #ChiefSecretaryHome #PodcastDiscussion #PublicSafety #GovernmentUpdate #PakistanLaw #SecurityReform #BalochistanUpdates Contact us : +92 317 3173531 Whatsapp us : +92 317 3173531 . Follow us on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@nazrbanbalochistannews https://www.youtube.com/@NazrbanBalochistanPodcasts . Follow us on Twitter https://x.com/NazrbanStories https://x.com/NazrbanNews . Follow us on our page https://www.facebook.com/NazrbanBalochistan https://www.facebook.com/NazrbanBalochistanStories https://www.facebook.com/NazrbanBalochistanPodcasts . Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nazrbanb https://www.instagram.com/nazrbanbalochistanpodcasts https://www.instagram.com/nazrbanbalochistanstories