ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the extension of licences for 86 foreign pilots currently employed in Pakistan for the past two years.
The decision, made during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, followed a recommendation from the Cabinet Division. The cabinet also approved a three-year licence validation for foreign pilots hired in 2025, according to a press release from the Media Wing of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Officials informed the meeting that the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on Pakistani pilots in recent years had compelled local airlines to hire foreign pilots. The Cabinet Division’s recommendations will be implemented following the completion of legal formalities.
PM Shehbaz also said the newly inaugurated Gwadar International Airport would not only benefit the economy of Balochistan but also Pakistan’s economy.
Presiding over the federal cabinet meeting, PM Shehbaz said the airport was constructed with the help of a $230 million Chinese grant, adding that the airport “is a gift for Pakistan from China and we should honour it”.
