News Detail
Event Title: Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Defence Presiding over a Meeting of The Committee at Parliament House Islamabad.
Event Date: 2026-01-06
The Senate Standing Committee on Defence met under the Chairmanship of Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood to consider a point of public importance regarding inflated airfare for flights to Quetta, referred by the House, and to receive a briefing by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on flight operations to and from Chitral. The meeting was attended by Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Senator Umer Farooq, and Senator Atta-ul-Haq.
The Committee welcomed the privatization of PIA and appreciated the efforts to inject substantial funds into the national flag carrier with operational management through the private sector. The Chairman emphasized that governments are not meant to run businesses and stated that privatization would save significant public funds previously spent on bailout packages. He expressed hope that PIA would now be managed efficiently by professionals and regain its former standing.
The Committee expressed serious concern over the discontinuation of PIA flights to and from Chitral. It was informed that the suspension was due to a shortage of aircraft, as only two ATR aircraft are currently operational. However, the Committee was apprised that following privatization and financial injection, the Ministry’s priority is to repair grounded aircraft, including ATRs, to restore services on the Chitral route. The Secretary Defence assured the Committee that recommendations are being made to the consortium to revive this route. He further suggested that tourism development in Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan, along with collaboration between the Green Tourism initiative and the Ministry of Defence, could help boost air travel and improve route viability. He also briefed the Committee on plans under consideration to introduce chartered helicopter services and integrate Chitral flights with chartered operations. The Chairman strongly recommended increasing the number of flights to Chitral and urged the initiation of one to two weekly flights. He stressed that certain routes are strategic in nature and should not be assessed solely on profitability.
The Committee also examined the issue of inflated airfare for flights to Quetta. Members voiced serious reservations and urged the Ministry of Defence to introduce a fare capping mechanism, noting that residents of Balochistan face considerable hardship due to excessive fares. The Committee was informed that airfare is generally determined by market forces of supply and demand. However, upon the Committee’s recommendation, the Secretary Defence assured that a capping mechanism would be devised to control fare inflation. The Committee also highlighted shortcomings in the existing airport protocol system and urged improvements. Authorities assured the establishment of separate counters and fine tuning of the protocol mechanism. The Chairman directed that the issue of inflated fares for Quetta be resolved by incorporating relevant facilitative provisions into airline agreements to safeguard the interests of the people of Balochistan.
Additionally, the Committee discussed the validity period of airport passes and the poor condition of airport restroom facilities. It urged the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) and relevant stakeholders to upgrade airport services to international standards. The Committee was informed that the Federal Cabinet has recently approved the outsourcing of airport services at three major airports to improve service delivery. The Chairman directed that the validity of airport passes be increased from one year to two years to minimize inconvenience, reiterating that the Committee remains committed to facilitating constructive initiatives.
The Committee also received an in-camera briefing on the security situation along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border and on the recently signed Defence Agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The Committee appreciated the achievements and lauded the Defence Agreement. Members further urged the Federal Minister for Defence to regularly attend meetings of the Standing Committee.