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Pakistan

Pakistan is on everybody's lips today. There is hardly a soul who has not heard about Pakistan be it for Musharraf, as chief of the army or as the President of Pakistan or for the ghastly killing of Benazir Bhutto.

Pakistan is also famed for its Anti Americanism, drug smuggling and underworld dons and last but not least the Muslim fundamentalists, Taliban supporters and fighters, the annointed judiciary and the voiceless pro-democracy supporters.

All this is so unfortunate, that Pakistan's geography, culture and history and its fabled part in the ancient land of India is sadly not relevant here anymore. The reader has read it all elsewhere. You will therefore be told here of only Pakistan aviation history only.

Pakistan International Airlines Corporation is more commonly known as Pakistan International Airlines or PIA and it is the national carrier of Pakistan.

PIA operates services to 73 destinations in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. It also has a network within Pakistan that connects 24 destinations.

The major airports of Pakistan are Jinnah International Airport, Karachi Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore and the Islamabad International Airport, Islamabad / Rawalpindi. The airline's other major airports are Multan International Airport, Faisalabad International Airport, Peshawar International Airport, and Quetta International Airport. These airports jmajorly have connections to the Middle East and the Far East.

With a 87 per cent stake, PIA is owned by the government of Pakistan, its privatization has been announced but the same has never been implemented by the government. The airline has over 19, 000 employees for 48 aircrafts so you can rest assured of the quality of services, be it on level ground or high up in the air.

Pakistan's early aviation history is unclear and accounts vary. It is though clear that the . the first two domestic routes in Pakistan established were Karachi-Quetta-Lahore and Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar.

Pakistan International Airlines Corporation was formed in 1955. In 1955 itself, the airline commenced its first international service from Karachi - Cairo International Airport - Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino, Italy - London Heathrow Airport. In 1960, PIA entered the jet age, albeit rather late as far as airlines of the world were considered..

In the 1970s, the national civilian airline extended assistance to Pakistan's Army by ferrying soldiers to East Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. PIA lost two of its planes to Indian Air Force fighters.

In airlines in Pakistan, recently private airlines have become popular and these include Air Blue Ltd. (operates famed charter services too) and Shaheen Air (started with Pakistan Air Force's efforts). Two Pakistan airlines that have given up operations are Bhoja Air and Aero Asia International.