PIA’s epitaph

By
Editor's Mail
-
21
206

PIA, once the pride and symbol of Pakistan, has served this country well in 1965 and 1971 wars. It offered vital air link between former East Pakistan and West Pakistan and when hostile weather cut off northern area land routes; it served as life line which no other private airline was willing to provide. It is unfortunate that its success as an airline and attraction of foreign postings and lucrative job opportunities became an incentive for its downfall at hands of corrupt governments.

Every successive government from Ziaul Haq onwards abused this organisation by making political appointments in violation of merit and since controversial sale of brand new DC-10s and their replacement by old B747 whose hull life was almost exhausted, every fleet replacement plan and procurement of vital spare parts has been tainted with kickbacks and gross irregularities. Corporate ethics such as zero tolerance for conflict of interest, which were hallmark of AM Nur Khan’s tenure under ZAB, has been widely abused thereafter. PIA’s unlisted assets such as peak time slots at London Heathrow, JFK etc and its routes acquired over years of hard work are now up for grabs, although their value will be more than its listed assets. Its subsidiary, PIA Investment, owns Hotel Roosevelt and Hotel Scribe which were bought by revenues generated by airline. Can anybody justify why PIA Investment, owned solely by taxpayers of Pakistan, hold its Board of Directors meeting abroad and its accounts have never been subject to Auditor General of Pakistan’s scrutiny? PIA’s human resources have been decimated over the years and today its executive corridors are dominated by mediocrity, which is not capable to deliver. Could anybody imagine a fake degree holder retaining his job and getting promoted under AM Nur Khan, as they continue to flourish today?

When PIA’s epitaph will be written, remember that cronies’ names will be written as its undertakers. RIP PIAC.

MALIK TARIQ ALI

Lahore

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

21 COMMENTS

  1. PIA, PSM, and all the WAPDA companies such as MEPCO, are all parasites upon the people of Pakistan because their employees are government servants who are eating up the very resources of these companies. Our country cannot become economically independent unless and until all these companies are handed over to private managements on private-public ownership basis.

  3. hello!,I like your writing very much! proportion we keep in touch extra about your post on AOL? I require an expert in this space to solve my problem. May be that’s you! Having a look forward to peer you.

  13. I think other site proprietors should take this site as an model, very clean and great user genial style and design, let alone the content. You’re an expert in this topic!

  19. I’ll immediately grab your rss as I can’t find your e-mail subscription hyperlink or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please allow me recognize in order that I may just subscribe. Thanks.

  20. There are certainly a lot of details like that to take into consideration. That may be a nice point to carry up. I provide the thoughts above as basic inspiration but clearly there are questions like the one you deliver up the place crucial factor shall be working in sincere good faith. I don?t know if best practices have emerged around things like that, however I am certain that your job is clearly recognized as a good game. Each girls and boys feel the impression of only a moment’s pleasure, for the remainder of their lives.

Comments are closed.