- PALPA president says ‘at least 410 out of 430 pilots in PALPA are in favour of resumption of flight operations’
- PIA asks protesting employees to resume duties from Sunday as govt warns it won’t negotiate with JAC until flight operations are resumed
The Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (PALPA) announced its withdrawal from the strike against government’s proposed plan to privatise the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday, with the organisation head directing pilots to resume their duties.
“At least 410 out of 430 pilots in PALPA are in favour of resumption of flight operations,” PALPA President Amir Hashmi told reporters.
He said PIA pilots are ready to provide their services but they should be provided adequate security as “we are receiving threats from the protesters”.
Hashmi said PALPA members were a part of the protest from the beginning but never supported the idea of a complete strike “which can have serious consequences on an airline which is already sinking”.
“Pilots are part of a professional body … we are not a political party,” he said, adding that the PIA strike had turned into a political arena.
Hashmi said PALPA stopped flight operations only when “water cannons, baton charge and marches became part of the protest”.
“It was not possible to continue flight operations at a time when the situation was so charged.”
The pilots community opposes privatisation because they think PIA can continue to function if “apt professionals manage it”, Hashmi said.
He said the association has written a letter to director general flight operations with commitment to resume flights on the condition that pilots are provided security.
PIA’s flight operations remain suspended on Saturday, when the country-wide strike entered its fifth consecutive day, with the national flag carrier incurring an estimated loss of over Rs 2 billion since the announcement of strike.
Although Minister of State/Chairman Privatisation Commission Mohammad Zubair met the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of PIA employees in Karachi on Friday and both sides called the talks “meaningful”, the JAC vowed to continue protest and keep flight operations suspended till a satisfactory agreement was reached with the government.
The PIA management has meanwhile given a “last chance” to its protesting employees to end their strike and resume their duties from Sunday.
“The government would not hold further negotiations with JAC until they restore flight operations,” said Senator Nehal Hashmi who attended the meeting of JAC on Friday night.
A very positive development. Hope PALPA means what they are saying.
There are about 450 pilots for about 30 active planes. They enjoy the perks of VIP"S. Now they are suddenly worried about their jobs and hence the U turn. Privtation of the airline and open sky policy will lead to cheaper fares. better service and more customers. A return ticket from Oslo to Lahore costs 7500 + kroner. A no frill airline can do it under 4500 kroner but the PIA will not allow it. Thousends of pakistanis heesitate in buing the tickets and thus cannot travel. Allready the turkish airline is cheaper from Oslo to Lahore with all the services added. A business is business . It is good to indulge in nationalisim but nothing is gained by being nationalistic. Please let us have all facts on the table.The most important indictor of success is public satisfaction. The PIA has failed to deliver.
it’s all political pia and the government and all the other parties no body cares about thousands of passengers like me stuck and waiting but they know they can bcuz as usual we will do nothing about it Anand dance around them in the next elections we deserve all this
this would never happen anywhere else in the world only pakistan where people come last and we are fine with that no body including the great captain Khan sahib even thinks they should mention thousands stuck all over the world so embarrassed pia never again
people protest all over the world for their rights peacefully but in our country when doctors protest they want to close the hospitals and break all the machines when solicitors strike they want all courts closed and smashed and now pia strike without taking people in to consideration at all and these are the dedicated people of pakistan
nice post
Comments are closed.