Monday, July 14 2025

Iran to launch direct flights from Quetta to boost travel, trade
Iran Air plans to launch direct weekly passenger and cargo flights from Quetta to the Iranian cities of Zahidan and Mashhad in a move aimed at boosting trade and travel between the neighbouring countries, an Iranian diplomat announced on Saturday. The new air service will help facilitate commerce, reduce travel time and costs for traders, and strengthen bilateral ties, said Ali Reza Rajai, Iran’s acting consul general in Quetta. The announcement was made at a ceremony organised by the Pak-Iran Joint Chamber of Commerce. The flights are intended “to facilitate trade and travel between Pakistan and Iran,” Rajai said, stressing the need for stronger cooperation. Top officials from the airline, including Iran Air Chief Agha Karimi and Deputy Chief Agha Ismail, were also in attendance.
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Friday, July 04 2025

Petition against PIA sell-off dismissed
The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench on Thursday dismissed a petition challenging the privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), removing a key legal roadblock in the government’s ongoing efforts to divest its majority stake in the loss-making national flag carrier. Justice Jawad Hassan issued a short order rejecting the petition, stating that detailed reasons would be shared later. The petition had contested the legality of the privatisation, arguing that the federal government issued an advertisement for the sale of PIA without fulfilling the requirements laid out in Section 23 of the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000. The petitioner’s counsel claimed that the government had failed to properly assess PIA’s local and international assets and ignored principles previously settled by the Supreme Court regarding such transactions.
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Thursday, June 19 2025

Careem announces end of ride-hailing service in Pakistan from next month
Careem will suspend its ride-hailing service operations in Pakistan from July after nearly a decade in the industry, its CEO announced on Wednesday, adding that its journey in the country would continue “in a different role”. Mudassir Sheikha, Careem’s CEO and co-founder, shared a post on LinkedIn announcing “a new chapter” for the company. “It is with a heavy heart that I share this update: Careem will suspend its ride-hailing service in Pakistan on July 18,” Sheikha said, adding that it was “an incredibly difficult decision.” “The challenging macroeconomic reality, intensifying competition, and global capital allocation made it hard to justify the investment levels required to deliver a safe and dependable service in the country.
Related news categories: business economic-indicators misc transport