Apropos numerous letters and reports published by your esteemed paper on current crisis confronting PIA, a victim of mediocrity, corruption, pilferage and massive interference by governments who considered it “maal-e-ghanimat”. Under PPP it was the cronies of the government who ran state owned PIA and CAA to abuse, mismanage and do as they wished. Can anybody justify CAA grant of approval for an airline owned by Indian nationals? Apart from holding dual nationality, they were dismissed or forced to retire from PAF on moral and disciplinary grounds. It was their choice of CEO that mismanaged PIA, selling and surrendering its key slots which are hidden assets that can fetch millions of dollars and routes. Both ran PIA and CAA as their fiefdoms, giving traffic rights to airlines owned by oil rich states in Gulf in return getting personal benefits. Surplus recruitment was given without regard to merit and general sales agents and ground handling agents appointed on political recommendations.
Why should every government headed by President, PM and their ministers be interested in posting their choice of cronies to New York, London, Manchester, Paris, Dubai, Jeddah and Toronto? It is certainly not protocol, but perhaps to facilitate money laundering or other irregularities. Can anybody justify why PIA Investments, subsidiary of PIA, whose majority shares are owned by government have its Board meeting outside Pakistan, although its head office is located in country? PIA Investments is owned by PIA a statutory institution, yet MD of PIA Investments, over 70 years old and holding American passport, continues to head it for over 12 years and its balance sheet has never been audited in Pakistan or approved by PIAC Board. It does not take rocket science to understand that it takes more than pilot skills to manage and run PIA, a very competitive industry which demands best qualified talent to deliver. How can an officer of PIA who has served as Manager Passports deliver as Country Manager Americas lacking any marketing skills?
GULL ZAMAN
Peshawar
