Zardari urges early implementation of Pak airlines

Zardari urges early implementation of Pak airlines reform
President Asif Ali Zardari has called for the implementation of a reform plan to tone up Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). The plan calls for arresting

rising liabilities, stemming general decline and converting PIA into a profitable organisation. Zardari presided over a
performance review meeting of the PIA here Friday.

Presidential spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said the special meeting had been convened in the backdrop of reports about the airline that suggested all

was not well with it, reported Associated Press of Pakistan.

The president said that injecting more finances alone was not the answer.

What was needed was the optimal utilization of financial, material and human resources as well as finding out-of-box solutions for renewal of the

existing fleet, Zardari added.

He said a reform package was also necessary for safeguarding interests of the organization and its employees.

Zardari said timely replacement of the ageing fleet with more modern and economical ones would not only reduce the operational costs but also ensure

safety of the passengers.

Welcoming the management’s initiative to separate non-core activities from the core business, the president said such steps were urgently needed in

order to ensure cost effectiveness of the business.