PIA MD AM Rao has a task to enforce strict financial and administrative discipline in national airline, whose accumulated losses since 2008 have risen by over 200 percent, with massive pilferage and revenue leakages. From an airline which once had an assured ethnic clientele of expatriate Pakistanis, who filled its flights, it has been forced to cut back on its schedules and frequencies.
Ever since PIA hired on contract Saleem Sayani as DMD Ops & Engg on a fabulous $25,000 per month tax free package, PIA maintenance has nosedived. Half of its fleet of old and new aircrafts has been grounded since the airline management headed by Capt Aijaz Haroon decided to appoint an unknown firm located in Dubai as its sole supplier of parts with first right of refusal, doing away with a wide choice of vendors approved by manufacturers located all over the airlines international network. The deal was signed by former PIA Director Stores Flight Engineer Khalid Iftikhar who was appointed by Aijaz Haroon. Although PIA has grounded its F27 Fleet consisting of 7 aircraft on 12 July 2006, the airlines Stores & Procurement has continued to procure spare parts for F-27 worth over millions of dollars since 2007.
Such is the level and scale of corruption and indiscipline that reigns supreme in PIA since 2008, when the airline was run by unqualified cronies, with a reputation for financial irregularities. PIA marketing was being run by a non-professional political appointee who had ruined PIA Duty Free Shops in late 90s and his sole experience was confined to working as clearing /forwarding agent. It was under him that Hajj and Umrah pilgrims were fleeced by a nexus of travel agents who in collaboration with few airline officials reserved bulk seats at low fares, weeks before announcement of Umrah or Hajj flight operation at escalated peak fares. Such was level of indiscipline that pictures of drunk senior marketing office were shown dancing with whiskey glass balanced on his head at an official party organized at farm house owned by MD.
The gentleman instead of being punished was promoted as DMD and transferred to PIA Investment. His powerful political godfathers which include former Chairman Mukhtar wanted to revert him as DMD Marketing PIA before start of Umrah season, which new MD Rao resisted.
GULL ZAMAN
Peshawar
