Pakistan has cleared the last legal barrier to privatising Pakistan International Airlines after President Asif Ali Zardari assented to the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) (Repeal) Bill, 2026. The repeal removes the statutory constraint that had limited the transaction, after the Senate passed the bill on 10 June and the National Assembly approved it on 11 June.
The move formalises the framework already built around the sale, including the consortium led by Arif Habib Corporation that secured a 75% stake in PIA for Rs135 billion. Coverage says most proceeds will flow back into the airline, with the state retaining a smaller federal share.
The legal clearance opens the way for execution, not debate, and puts the carrier back on the privatisation track.