Britain lifts ban on Pakistani airlines
Flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines was barred from flying to Britain in June 2020, a month after one of its aircraft plunged into a Karachi street, killing nearly 100 people.
The disaster was attributed to human error by the pilots and air traffic control, and was followed by allegations that nearly a third of the licences for its pilots were fake or dubious.
The UK Air Safety Committee had decided to lift the ban following aviation safety improvements in Pakistan, the British High Commission in Islamabad said, adding that decisions on de-listing states and air carriers were made "through an independent aviation safety process".
"Based on this independent and technically-driven process, it has decided to remove Pakistan and its air carriers from the (UK Air Safety) List," it said in a statement.
The move comes after European regulators lifted a four-year ban on PIA, with the Pakistani state-owned carrier resuming flights to Europe in January.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the lifting of the ban as "an important milestone for the country".
"The lifting of the ban on Pakistani flights by the UK is a source of relief for Pakistanis residing in Britain," he added in a statement.
PIA said it would resume services to Britain in "the shortest possible time" with the first flights operating from Islamabad to Manchester.
Aviation minister Khawaja Asif acknowledged the ban had caused losses.
"Confidence is being restored in Pakistani airlines once again," he said at a news conference in Islamabad.
PIA, which employs 7,000 people, has long been accused of being bloated and poorly run -- hobbled by unpaid bills, a poor safety record and regulatory issues.
Pakistan's government has said it is committed to privatising the debt-ridden airline and has been scrambling to find a buyer.
In 2024, a deal fell through after a potential buyer reportedly offered a fraction of the asking price.
PIA came into being in 1955 when the government nationalised a loss-making commercial airline, and enjoyed rapid growth until the 1990s.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Russia to face new sanctions in 10 days if it fails to act on Ukraine: Trump
US President Donald Trump said that the United States will begin imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia in 10 days unless Moscow takes steps toward ending the war in to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated that he had not yet received any response from Russia. He also downplayed concerns about potential disruptions to the global oil market, asserting that increased domestic oil production would help reduce any economic fallout from president, who had previously set a 50-day deadline, announced on Monday that he was shortening the timeline due to a lack of movement from Moscow. "I'm going to make a new deadline of about ... 10 or 12 days from today," he said during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "There's no reason in waiting... We just don't see any progress being made," he also signalled that he has no intention of engaging in further dialogue with Putin. Instead, he emphasised that sanctions and tariffs would serve as punitive measures against Moscow if it fails to comply with his conditions.'There's no reason to wait. If you know what the answer is going to be, why wait? And it would be sanctions and maybe tariffs, secondary tariffs,' he President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Trump for his remarks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, calling them "particularly significant" and a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, "A clear stance and expressed determination by @POTUS – right on time, when a lot can change through strength for real peace." He added, "I thank President Trump for his focus on saving lives and stopping this horrible war."Ukraine had proposed holding a meeting between President Zelenskyy and Putin before the end of August, but the Kremlin dismissed the proposed timeline as unrealistic, insisting that such a meeting could only take place as a final step toward securing a peace Russia's foreign ministry stated last week that if the West genuinely wanted peace with Ukraine, it would halt its arms deliveries to Kyiv.- EndsWith inputs from ReutersTune InMust Watch
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
UK will recognise Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to 'immediate ceasefire'
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom is ready to officially recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September — unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and initiates impactful steps toward peace and humanitarian announcement came on Tuesday amid growing outrage over images of starving children in Gaza and mounting pressure within his own party. "The Palestinian people have endured terrible suffering," he told in Gaza, because of a catastrophic failure of aid, we see starving babies, children too weak to stand, images that will stay with us for a lifetime. The suffering must end," he added. If the UK follows through, it will become the second Western member of the UN Security Council after France to officially recognise a Palestinian state. This would deepen Israel's diplomatic isolation over its ongoing war with Hamas in CONDITIONS FOR RECOGNITIONThe UK's move is conditional. Starmer said Britain will only move forward if Israel does not show clear action by September. That includes easing humanitarian access to Gaza, publicly ruling out the annexation of the West Bank, and committing to a peace process based on a two-state said the British government will review progress made by all parties before finalising its decision. 'We will assess how far the parties have met these steps,' he said. 'But no one will have a veto over our decision.'He had earlier held a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the news agency responded quickly to Starmer's comments. Its Foreign Ministry posted on X, saying the UK's decision amounted to a "reward for Hamas" and would damage any chance of a ceasefire in statement comes just a day after his meeting in Scotland with US President Donald Trump, who reportedly told him he did "not mind" if Britain went ahead to recognise Palestine. However, the United States -- Israel's closest ally -- has consistently avoided recognising a Palestinian PARTY'S STANCE ON PALESTINEThe UK prime minister's position marks a sharp turnaround from last week, when he disappointed many in his Labour Party by stating that the time was not yet right for shift also comes against the backdrop of frustration in Britain over Israel's conduct in the war. Starmer recalled his cabinet from the summer break to discuss a new European-led peace proposal and measures to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza's 2.2 million has long held the position that it would recognise Palestine only "when the time is right," but it had never before attached a specific timeline or clear announced last week it would recognise Palestine as a state based on 1967 borders, which drew strong criticism from both Israel and the United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the French decision "reckless."China and Russia are the only other permanent members of the UN Security Council to have recognised Palestine.- EndsWith inputs from Reuters
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Eminent economist, House of Lords member Meghnad Desai passes away at 85
Eminent India-born British economist, former Labour party politician, and House of Lords member Meghnad Desai passed away on Tuesday. He was 85. A prominent and well-regarded voice in economics in the UK, India, and beyond, Desai was a widely respected academic who wrote over 200 articles published in academic journals and authored over 25 books. A Professor Emeritus of the London School of Economics (LSE), where he had a long and distinguished career, Desai also wrote scores of columns in newspapers in the UK and India, including in The Indian Express. In 2008, he was awarded India's third-highest civilian honour—the Padma Bhushan. Although a celebrated economist, Desai's writings and commentary spanned varied subjects—economics, politics, political and social economy, history, sociology, international affairs, and even cinema. In fact, Desai reportedly counted his biography of the legendary actor Dilip Kumar—Nehru's Hero: Dilip Kumar in the life of India—as his 'greatest achievement'. Desai was an avid watcher of old Hindi films, and also had a passion for cooking. After learning of Desai's passing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to social media platform X to express his condolences. 'Anguished by the passing away of Shri Meghnad Desai Ji, a distinguished thinker, writer and economist. He always remained connected to India and Indian culture. He also played a role in deepening India-UK ties. Will fondly recall our discussions, where he shared his valuable insights. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti,' Modi posted on X. Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of Prime Minister Economic Advisory Council, wrote on X, 'Very sorry to hear that eminent economist Meghnad Desai has passed away. I had known him for over two decades. He was always cheerful and open to new ideas. I will cherish the many long discussions and debates that we had over the years. Om Shanti.' Born on July 10, 1940 in Vadodara to Jagdish Chandra, a civil servant, and Mandakini Desai a homemaker, Desai grew up with three siblings. He earned his BA in 1958 and MA in economics in 1960 from the University of Bombay, after which he bagged a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed his PhD in Economics in 1963. Desai, also well-known as Lord Desai due to his membership of the upper house of the British parliament, taught economics from 1965 to 2003 at the LSE. He was appointed as a lecturer at the LSE in 1965, and became a Professor of Economics there in 1983. Desai went on to head LSE's Development Studies Institute from 1990 to 1995, and established and led the LSE Centre for the Study of Global Governance. During his time at the LSE, Desai researched and lectured on a variety of subjects—Marxian analysis, applied econometrics, Indian development and reform, poverty, globalisation, and the role of private markets. In 1971, Desai joined the British Labour Party and was elevated to the House of Lords in June 1991. He was Chairman of the Gandhi Memorial Statue Trust which helped erect the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in London's Parliament Square. In 1991, he was created a life peer as Baron Desai St Clement Danes in the City of Westminster. In 2020, Desai resigned as a member of the UK's Opposition Labour Party over its failure to effectively tackle antisemitic racism within its ranks. He authored numerous books, the most recent being The Poverty of Political Economy: How Economics Abandoned the Poor (2022). His other notable books are Marx's Revenge: The Resurgence of Capitalism and the Death of Statist Socialism, Rethinking Islamism: Ideology of the New Terror, The Route to All Evil: The Political Economy of Ezra Pound, a novel Dead on Time, and The Rediscovery of India.
