ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday grilled the management of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for messing up the affairs of the national carrier and directed the PIA managing director to set the organisation’s house in order.
A source informed Pakistan Today that the prime minister also asked the PIA management to quash rumors about the airline’s alleged agreement with a Turkish airline for sharing its routes.
The PIA MD informed Gilani that there was no agreement with the Turkish airline for the sale of PIA routes, rather the PIA had signed only a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which still needed an agreement and its approval by the Defence Ministry as well as the prime minister for implementation, added the source.
“Capt Aijaz Haroon also said for the time being, the PIA has taken no decision to sell its routes to a Turkish airline. The prime minister directed Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar to look after the affairs of the airline and ensure drastic measures to improve the PIA service,” added the source. PIA Public Relations Officer (PRO) Azhar Butt told Pakistan Today that the talks with a Turkish airline for sharing of PIA routes were in initial stages and a MoU had been signed.
However, he added, the coordination needed a formal agreement which was yet to be signed. Later, he added the agreement would need an approval from the Defence Ministry and the prime minister before it was implemented.
PIA spokesman Mashhood Tajwar contradicted Butt’s statement, saying that no MoU or agreement had been signed between the airlines.
“No decision has been taken and only media reports had quoted minutes of initial and informal negotiations between the two airlines which is an ongoing process.”
He expressed his ignorance about the prime minister’s directions to the PIA bosses and said Butt would be in a better situation to comment on the issue.
Meanwhile, an official handout said the prime minister urged the PIA management to improve its services and strictly observe punctuality of flight operations.
The prime minister impressed upon the management to adopt modern management techniques to help improve its services.
He said the government was aware of the financial constraints of the corporation, but the management could popularise and enhance the business of the airline by improving its services.
Earlier, the management gave a detailed briefing to the premier on issues concerning the corporation.
