Pakistan Today

Undoing of PIA

PIA once pride of Pakistan has deteriorated over the years ever since political interference started eroding its human resources. The last nail in coffin of this state owned organization was appointment of cronies who played havoc with airline finances, routes, procurement etc and did not spare even Hajj and Umrah passengers from being fleeced by nexus of few travel agents and corrupt airline executives.

One of the cronies’ sole qualification was that he was a close friend of Sharjeel Memon and had once furnished surety bond for former president in one of numerous cases he faced, while the other one was a classfellow of AZ. The former faced charges of financial irregularities by an investigation committee appointed by Ministry of Defence under AVM Mushaf Ali Mir and was also involved in smuggling of rare artifacts and items of archaeological significance which somehow landed in Surrey Mansion. It was during this tenure that PIA was involved in creating a cartel in UK of few travel agents belonging to APTA, which is not allowed in Europe and PIA was fined millions by High Court in London, while its routes and slots acquired over years of hard work were surrendered with money exchanged under table. During 2008-2013 over 200 additional weekly traffic rights were given to airlines based in Gulf, while flights of Pakistani airlines to UAE was reduced to under 60.

Never in history of PIA were hundreds employed on fake degrees, nor was airline monopolized by men holding foreign nationalities who were involved in organized smuggling of foreign exchange and money laundering for themselves and their political and criminal godfathers. Corporate ethics like Conflict of Interest was abused to an extent that contract for catering PIA flights operating in Europe was given to a company based in Manchester, owned by family of MD himself. The appointment of intermediate pass as Director Administration and Human Resources and a former Clearing and Forwarding agent with a fake degree as Director Procurement and later as Director Marketing sealed fate of PIA, whose fleet was reduced from 44 Aircraft in 2007 to under 17 by 2013. For PIA to survive it must be cleansed of this rot which has monopolised its executive corridors.

ANEELA CHANDIO

Sukkur

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