PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi clash

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

So when is ganja firing all the employees of PIA and putting in Jail for one year??? Ishaq Dollar, personal khazanchi and patewala of N$ is responsible for this strike, could have averted.

PIA flight operations suspended indefinitely as strike enters third day - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

KARACHI: All domestic and international flights of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) remained cancelled on Wednesday, airport officials said, as the strike resulting from employees’ protest against the national carrier’s proposed privatisation entered its third day on Thursday.

PIA employees continued their protest outside major airports across the country, which came as the federal government invoked the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952, in the PIA for six months.

PIA flight counters at Karachi airport can be seen empty.—DawnNews
PIA flight counters at Karachi airport can be seen empty.—DawnNews
PIA representatives at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and Peshawar’s Bacha Khan International Airport confirmed that all domestic and international flights scheduled for Wednesday were cancelled.

“All PIA flights have been suspended indefinitely,” said a PIA inquiry representative at Lahore airport.

He said two PIA flights from London and Milan landed at Lahore airport on Wednesday morning, although services of “employees of a private company” were used to handle the arriving flights.

Security at Lahore airport was beefed up on Wednesday.—DawnNews
Security at Lahore airport was beefed up on Wednesday.—DawnNews
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesman Pervez George told Dawn.com that the authority has requested private carrier Airblue to schedule additional flights between major cities to accommodate passengers after cancellation of PIA flights.

PIA Joint Action Committee (JAC) spokesman Nasrullah Khan said employees had resumed protest outside all major airports in the country and there has been no change in their demands.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

agreed. privatization is one thing but killing protesters is quite another.

if we go around and take a survey (i think dawn did that), majority of Pakistanis are against PIA staff and are in support of privatization and to kick out safarshi folks but you cant start soothing protesters. Govt needs to stay strong against these blackmailers but without causing any life damage.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

PIA kii strike se Private Airlines ne be-taHaasha kiraayaa baRhaa diyaa jiske nateeje meN musaafiroN ne railway station kaa ruKh kiyaa magar vahaN bhii reservation haath nahiiN aa rahaa.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

And here comes the chance to bring another dharna sorta protest. Such opportunistic attitude without sensing the pros n cons

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

You have been advised several times not to get personal while posting here. Consider this a warning.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

I don’t know why PIA has become synonymous with PPP. This is what some people’s darling party PMLN recently did, but as usual not a single word of condemnation and ‘moral outrage’ will be uttered for PMLN - the ultimate ruling party of present and future.

PML-N govt hired 1,000 workers in overstaffed PIA

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

I am risking arguing with you… but…

  1. There is a difference between hiring by a government and hiring during a government’s tenure. There is almost a consensus (even in the article you posted) that PPP hires people into PIA (and other nationalized organizations) to buy votes. Selling government jobs is also a lucrative business, and PPP excels at it. The tradition started with so-called nationalization by Bhutto and is kept well and alive by his heirs. Listen to Arif Alvi if you don’t trust me enough.

  2. The total number of PIA employees has actually reduced over recent years.

  3. If PML(N) government indeed hired their supporters in PIA, they wouldn’t be so keen to privatize it.

  4. Which party is most keen to keep the current setup in place?The answer should tell you which party has the most haram khors in the airline.

However, the claim that the government is trying to damage PIA before sale can hold some strength. This needs to be investigated by independent parties.

Parliament and judiciary should ensure a transparent privatization process and no one in the government (specially Mr. Abbasi) should privately benefit from the transaction.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

I have no intention of giving PPP a clean chit whatsoever, and I agree with you how PPP enlisted party Jiyalas in key government organisations to build institutional support base. But the following quote is where you are mistaken, and it feels like an attempt to give PMLN a clean chit:

PMLN doesn’t work like PPP! They don’t care about keeping any ‘ideology’ or slogans alive by feeding party zealots. If secretive and shady privatisation benefits Sharif family, they wouldn’t care about how many of their party supporters ‘suffer’. Come next elections, they will have enough money to buy and create few thousands more supporters and facilitators in key positions in key organisations.

You are being too kind on Sharif brothers by suggesting they have no personal stake in privatization of PIA that’s why they are unusually so damn eager to privatise it, and keep it all a big secret.

My point is - why PIA privatisation isn’t being discussed in the parliament and why it is not being done via a formal policy and a transparent process?

So yes some sort of opposition to this whole drama is a must. It’s only democratic, no?

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

[QUOTE]
There is a difference between hiring by a government and hiring during a government's tenure.
[/QUOTE]

What is a difference? Playing with semantics? PMLN government hired 1,000 more people in already **overstaffed **PIA. How is this not equivalent to hiring during a government tenure, and how can you say those 1,000 more useless positions weren't created in already overstaffed PIA to award PMLN facilitators? Is PMLN that saintly these days?

You can blame PPP all you want, but I simply don't agree that PPP is the only culprit when it comes to making political appointments in government organisation. Look at how blatant hiring of MQM's 'karkuns' under Mustafa Kamal have destroyed KWSB.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

Is IK against the idea of PIA privatization or is he against the PMLN style of privatization? anyway very hard to know where IK heart is as he flip flops all the time. PPP is with blackmailers and we know the reasons but what is PTI rationale? PIA needs a structured and transparent privatization. so PTI needs to make it clear if they support privatization in principle or not.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

so complete shut down today and no PIA plane in air....billions were lost and poor passengers are in pain.

what to do with these blackmailers...hard working PIA staff is also against these looters who is giving them bad name.

yes no killing and no violence but these blackmailers need to be fixed. the moment you try to do anything menaingful these blackmailers who are looting PIA shut down the operation. Pakistani public has no sympathy for PIA staff. govt shd stand strong, bring this issue to parliament, have an open debate, announce a transparent process, and try to get other parties support. address public and tell them why privatzaition makes sense...request public to be patient so that these PIA looters can be weakened. majority of public is anyway against PIA looters.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

while i fully support PIA privatization, i do question PMLN motives and tactics.

are these 15000 PIA employees not human beings or are they animals who can be fired and killed? i ask PMLN govt that if you are willing to negotiate with pak steel mills and pakistan railways and refuse to privatize them and are willing to let them stand on their feet by inducting govt money and bail out packages then why the govt is so rigid with PIA?

why is govt not debating this issue in parliament? why is govt refusing to talk to sohail baloch and his union? yes do not give up, do not surrender to their demands but at least talk to them. As i said in my last post, there are many good hard working folks in PIA. not all of them are looters. talk to them and give them some timeline and some goals.

and shame on captian sohail baloch and his union for shutting down all the planes and for screwing passengers so badly. what a pathetic behavior.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

http://s13.postimg.org/g62v5h6vb/PIA_vs_Turkish.jpg

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

Not rigid AFAIK. The problem was merely converting legal structure of PIA. Privatization is still no where near in sight.

Should be done and a detailed roadmap for revamping/restructuring PIA should be discussed at several levels.

The government deferred actions towards privatization for 6 months stating this reason. Neeyat ka mujhay pata nahee.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

at least, Pakistan Railway is earning extra due to PIA strikes. it’s a good news for train travelers. more coaches are attached to trains.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

thx kaka…did some more search and it looks like that govt did give PIA union 6 months to improve plus guaranteed that rights of PIA employees would be protected and their perks and privileges, salaries and gratuity would never be affected in the new plan for reviving the national flag carrier. if that is the case, govt should stand firm. people of pakistan are with govt on this one but govt shd start an open debate in Parliament as well. the process of privatization should be open and transparent.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

Rs1.8 billion lost to PIA strike - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

sad…

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

This government needs someone shrewd like Zardari for times like this. The idiots they currently have spewing whatever they feel like at that moment have only contributed to aggravating the situation.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

Govt did not give PIA 6 months to improve. They postponed privatization by 6 months to create a buffer, as they can't deal with the blowback at this time.
As far as guaranteeing rights, perks, privileges and jobs etc of employees are concerned, its just a smoke screen. For one, no private investor will take over PIA with these terms. Secondly, reduction of workstaff is almost a given, should a private ownership come in. There already is the matter of a Rs.300+ billion running loss, which no investor will take.

Under the current scenario, it is very difficult for the government to privatize the airline. 1) Govt will have to absorb the 300 billion loss. and 2) Govt needs to purge a handsome number of employees through a golden handshake..which will cost the govt another decent chunk of money. The employee purge is what the govt is trying to avoid by passing on the buck to private investors, since it will be politically damaging for PMLN to fire people.

The only reason the govt is rushing through this sale is to appease IMF, as they want to go for another loan after this one expires next year. Otherwise, there is no reason why PIA could not be turned around using tactics similar to what Saad Rafique has done in Railways, as much as I may dislike him.

Half of PIAs fleet sits idle. PIA is already running a loss. Why not slash fares dramatically, which would result in a huge surge in passengers. The losses would still stand, but at least the ridership would increase.
Moreover, there are tons of routes they sold to GCC airlines in return for GCC routes. The GCC airlines are using their routes in Pakistan, but PIA is barely using any of its routes. If they start using those routes with ultra low fares, its just a matter of time before they break even.
All it needs is a good management.....an independent board, one that does not entertain political pressure.

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Re: PIA flight operations across country wind down as employees killed in Karachi cla

Ganja bratheran’s administration sucks. Why can not they control the prices of these air lines?

MQM accuses Abbasi of cashing in on PIA crisis - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum witnessed on Thursday a heated debate between parliamentarians belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi after the former accused the latter of cashing in on the PIA strike by raising fares of Airblue, the airlines owned by the minister.

The two sides exchanged hot words after MQM’s Abdul Waseem called upon the government to further reduce the price of petrol.

Mr Waseem accused Mr Abbasi of benefiting from the PIA crisis.

Shahid Ahmed of MQM also jumped into the fray and criticised the government for not passing on the full benefit of low oil prices in international market to consumers.

The chairman of the committee, Bilal Ahmad Virk, tried to pacify the two MQM members, but they walked out of the meeting in protest.

The MQM members were of the view that a reduction of Rs5 in the price of petrol was a joke with people.

Mr Abbasi said that he had no shareholding in Airblue and had not visited its office for over two years. He said Airblue was a public listed company and its shareholdings could be checked from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.

The minister said oil prices in Pakistan were lowest among all oil importing countries and the government had not made a single rupee from the declining oil prices in international market.

He said Pakistan reduced the petrol price by Rs5 per litre whereas in India its price was cut by only 4 paisa per litre, adding that per litre price of petrol in India was Rs101, in Bangladesh Rs130, and in Dubai Rs55.

Over the issue of gas loadshedding, the minister said there was a need to introduce a constitutional provision that the province producing natural resource should have first right over it. The issue should be taken up in the Council of Common Interests, he added.

Amir Tufail, acting managing director of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), said that the company was trying its best to manage the gas load. It is following a plan for gas loadshedding so that discomfort of consumers could be minimised. He said the company was providing 0.3 million gas connections every year following permission from Ogra.

Director General of Petroleum Concession Saeedullah Shah informed the committee that 11 licences of exploration blocks had been revoked due to failure of exploration companies to fulfil requirement of the work commitment plan.

He said show-cause notices had been issued to 26 blocks and hearings were being conducted to take action against more companies which had failed to meet commitments.

Shireen Mizari of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) sought clarification about the LNG deal. She said the issue had been raised for the sake of transparency. She said her party wanted to know the procedure of the LNG deal and its price.

In response, Mr Abbasi said a written reply would be submitted to the committee.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2016