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The policy lengthened license validity, eased certification timelines, and rationalized entry barriers.
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These changes arrived precisely when AirSial was stalled under the old one-year renewal regime.
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The benefits were disproportionately immediate for AirSial compared with carriers already grounded by prior enforcement.
Policy reform is legitimate. Timing and beneficiary concentration are what elevate this from neutral reform to extraordinary facilitation.
Exhibit B: Repeated RPT extensions—at cabinet level
Facts on the timeline:
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AirSial received an RPT license in 2017 but did not launch within the standard window.
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During Imran Khan’s tenure, the license was:
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extended in January 2020, and
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extended again by the federal cabinet in late 2020 to enable final certification and launch.
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Industry context:
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Comparable delays historically led to suspensions (e.g., Shaheen Air, Bhoja Air).
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Cabinet-level extensions for a single startup are not routine administrative acts.
This is regulatory grace with political weight.
Exhibit C: Direct prime-ministerial intervention and endorsement
Documented actions include:
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Personal meetings between Sialkot businessmen and the Prime Minister to resolve licensing issues.
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Inauguration of AirSial by Imran Khan on December 9, 2020 at Sialkot Airport.
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Public framing of AirSial as a symbol of “competition” and “export-led growth.”
Prime ministers do not typically inaugurate private airlines. When they do, it signals political sponsorship, not mere neutrality.
