PIA suffered Rs 401m losses in Hajj operation 2012, Senate told

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has suffered financial losses to the tune of Rs 401 million in Hajj operation 2012, Minister for Defence Sardar Saleem Haider said Tuesday.
Answering the question of Begum Najma Hameed in Upper House, he said PIA had demanded Rs 108,500 as Hajj fare but the Ministry of Religious Affairs had fixed much lesser fares that prompted the financial losses to the PIA.
He said the financial health of PIA was on constant increase. A total of nine air crafts were being purchased on dry lease. Out of which four air crafts would arrive in April while remaining five planes would arrive by December this year, he said.
PIA was on operational profit since last five years. Currently PIA has 38 air crafts out of which 25 planes were operational.
PIA incurred losses up to Rs 141 billion from 2002 to 2012. New recruitments have been banned; transfers and posting were being done on merit. Responding to the question of Abdul Haseeb Khan, the minister said the corrupt officials of PIA were being punished.
Haseeb said he must be told the names and action taken against the corrupt. On this the chairman referred the matter to Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence to probe the matter and allowed the interesting members to attend the meeting of the committee.