Arif Habib

Muhammad Arif Habib ( ; b. 1953) is a Pakistani stock trader who founded the Arif Habib Group. He also serves as member of Boards of Governors of Karachi School of Business and Leadership (KSBL).

Early life Habib was born to a Memon family in Karachi. His family were from Jamnagar, Gujarat, where they owned a tea venture and several properties. Following the independence of Pakistan in 1947, they left behind their businesses and migrated to Pakistan. In 1970, he began his career in the brokerage industry at the Karachi Stock Exchange, which his brother had purchased.

In 1998, Habib acquired stocks following market crash after nuclear tests by India and Pakistan.

In December 2025, it was announced that a consortium led by Habib had acquired a 75% shareholding in Pakistan International Airlines through a government auction. The acquisition, valued at 135 billion Rs ($482 million), represented one of Pakistan’s largest privatisation transactions in the aviation sector.

Air Karachi Air Karachi is a new Pakistani airline seeking a Regular Public Transport (RPT) license from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to begin domestic and international flights. The airline is backed by local investors and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). They plan to offer both passenger and cargo services, with initial plans to operate with three leased aircraft.

Air Karachi is a new venture in Pakistan's aviation sector, with investors announcing an initial seed funding of PKR 5 billion. The airline has applied for an RPT license from the CAA, which is necessary to operate commercial flights. Air Karachi intends to start with domestic flights and expand to international routes in the future. Broadcast live on national television, the open auction saw the consortium outbid Lucky Cement.