Thoroughly inefficient

PIA that at one time was considered the pride of Pakistan has fallen too low in esteem for retrieval with a mere injection of funds. The stratagem has been tried earlier only to see the money sink to no purpose. The airlines needs a thorough shake-up. Nevertheless, for inexplicable reasons, the Economic Coordination Committee thought it fit to approve in its meeting on Tuesday a multi-billion rupees operational and debt restructuring plan that had been prepared by the Ministry of Defence for the airlines. Unless the very pattern of its administration undergoes a radical change, there is little sense in hoping for improvement, whatever the amount the government spares for it. One problem with PIA is that it has appointed a large number of political favourites in key positions at attractive salaries and perks in place of the former experienced staff. Perhaps, the only option to turn this losing airlines into a profitable venture is to take urgent steps to privatise it. There is no reason that once it is run on professional lines, it would not be able to regain the glory that initially belonged to it.