PIA has the highest ratio of employees to aircraft in the whole aviation industry. Yet this loss-making, top-heavy airline, with half its fleet grounded for lack of funds to procure spare parts and inflicted with cancer of colossal pilferage, keeps being subjected to debilitating recruiting sprees: 2,590 more employees have been inducted since 2008 including over 200 pilots, amidst allegations that most of those employed bought their way in. The Minister for Defense has conceded in the Senate that 2590 more employees were recruited by this government.
Amongst the 753 officers in this top-heavy airline, whose accumulated losses are in excess of Rs 135 Billion and escalating by Rs 7 crore daily, include officers with fake degrees. Some of these officers are alleged to have submitted fake degrees from a controversial university of dubious repute (Al-Khair University) based in AJK. It is interesting to note that many of these degree-holders that include PIA contractual or regular employees based in Lahore, Islamabad, Multan and Karachi, simultaneously attended their official duties at their stations of posting etc, while attending classes in AJK located hundreds of miles apart.
The recruitment process of pilots in PIA came under the microscope when an investigation was ordered by the ministry of defense in the 90s conducted by AVM Mushaf Ali Mir. The consequent report accused the then GM Central Control of gross irregularities. This gentleman was appointed as MD of PIA in 2008 by this government when over 2500 more recruitments were thrust upon this already over-staffed airline.
The airline is suffering as it has no funds to spare for scheduled maintenance of its existing fleet of mostly new aircraft and few aged aircraft. Although recruitments are based on a strength of 42 aircrafts, the stark reality is that never ever in past four years have more than 28 to 35 aircraft been serviceable. When merit is violated even for recruitment of pilots, accidents are bound to occur, irrespective of the fact whether these aircraft are old or new. PIA’s flight regularity is at its worst and its frequency slashed on international network, while the Hajj and Umra operations conducted in past 4 years have been a torture for these pilgrims.
GULL ZAMAN
Peshawar