PIA in really bad shape

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
21

Re: PIA in really bad shape

PIA ki hawai mezban! Aik martaba meray dost nay pani manga, kehti "khud laylay"!

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

Quite expected and well deserved fate and I believe that anti-Mush should be happy about that :). I know that it would be difficult for some to understand the punch and realize why PIA is going down the drain but those who are pro ex-disgraced Iftikhar would never understand.

Here is the problem ... not with PIA but with all government controlled business ventures. Pakistan Railways, State Life, WAPDA, Steel Mill, government controlled Banks, PIA, PSO ... etc.

Before Bhutto they were either in the hand of private individuals (who started them as ventures) or it was in the hand of competent non-political government servant hands. Bhutto came and brought politics in government. With Bhutto, all these businesses started getting used for providing jobs to political safarshies and political workers (later, political leaders ... especially PPP leaderships ... also started selling jobs in these businesses).

Thus these institutions would have got destroyed earlier but Zia came and stopped their use as prostitutes for politics (though some did got destroyed by the end of Bhutto rule, that includes Pakistan shipping industry, Pakistan ship-breaking and salvaging industry, and many privately held educational institutions).

After the death of Zia, again most of them became prostitutes for politics. Both NS and BB used them to fill their political workers, safarashies and 'for selling jobs'. As time passed, these businesses started making huge losses and by mid 1990s government was running them at the cost of tax payer money.

We should remember that one corruption charges against BB was of giving jobs in PIA to her political workers, safarishies and selling jobs in PIA for money. These newly employed people had nothing to fear about their job and used the company to loot and plunder. One can read the above article that even after 8 years (when present government is trying their best to get rid of extra employees from all such businesses), still PIA has 440 employees per aircraft when efficient airlines have around 150 employees per aircraft.

Nevertheless, all government controlled businesses were over staffed. Both NS and BB used them to give jobs to their political workers, job for money, and safarshies.

When Musharraf came to power, his government tried to change this. Injected money and got rid of extra staff. After making these businesses profitable and lean, they were intended to get sold (some did got sold) ... not because they were money spinner for government but they were burden on tax payer and it was required to get them disposed ... as best use of tax-payer money is not to bail out over staffed businesses so that selective political workers can have their free earnings, but best use of tax-payer money is to spend on building of country and infra-structure in the country ... but some retards who do not understand businesses like disgraced ex-CJ and corrupt journalists (paid by corrupt politicians), started calling the procedure as selling state silvers or thought that selling them was corruption (those who are corrupts look at all things with their corrupt eyes ... like corrupt x-CJ).

Unfortunately ... mentally retard and corrupt Iftikhar stopped that process. And since then, probably government stopped bailing them out ... so here we have PIA going down the drain and I would not be surprised that if corrupts would come back, after some years from now, Pakistan steel and other businesses would go down the drain too.

[Many do not even know that run down business like 'British leyland' cost government to close down and 'ROVER' was sold for 50 pence. British Steel when privatized, got less than what Pakistan steel mill was getting. We should know that even to close down businesses cost money and businesses are valued according to what profit they make ... not just asset values. Marconi ... at one time its share was valued 13 pounds (company was worth over 20 billion pounds) ... when gone into losses, it was given to creditors (I think total debt was around a billion pound when company was handed over to creditors) and share holders (owners) got nothing].

**Daydreaming**
**Daydreaming**
23

Re: PIA in really bad shape

Does that mean you prefer Airblue, thus believe It is a better airline as compared to PIA? I had my first and last experience with Airblue (horrible), but I'd still consider PIA to be the better of them.

~~~/\/\/\~ Congrats Eshal Raza ~~~/\/\/\~
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Re: PIA in really bad shape

PIA is the best always,..last year me and my friend went to Pak. We were playing cards in the middle. Air hostess’s was friendly, people were great as they say “great people to fly with”.

Problem is we Pakistani treat PIA as a whore, thats the fact of life.

PIA ..same as rest of Pakistani’s.. :jhanda:

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

That is very true. I also remember reading an article which stated that once NS delayed the take off of a PIA flight by a day, because he had the urge to go and eat his favourite ice cream at Harrods. :D

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

Sure you did :rolleyes:

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

The G-7 countries, the world's most advanced airlines, all sold their nationalised airlines.

I've always wondered why, when a trait of developed countries is that their governments do not own their airlines, has Pakistan's government been in the business of running an airline. Worse, taxpayer money has been used to keep said airline in business.

Unhealthy business should be allowed to die so that their assets can be stripped and used by healthier businesses. If PIA is not run competenently and looses money, it should be allowed to die so that Pakistan's other airlines can take over assets and customers.

If PIA cannot run international routes profitably, other Pakistani airlines should be given a shot at them.

State ownership of companies, especially when corruption is as bad as in Pakistan, only leads to abuse for which the taxpayer is held financially responsible. Cutting down opportunities for corruption, such as state ownership of companies, not only reduces the burden on taxpayers, but also reduced oppotunities for corrupt behavior.

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

Well, thank god for the Army then buddy... We need another retired General to infuse his exceptional expertise in this airline. God knows the Army Generals have all the right training to LEAD a modern airline along a modern bussines line!

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

Quota system needs to be banned in Pakistan! PERIOD.

PIA is a perfect example of the f*ked up quota system...

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

Quota system should be banned alright but it has nothing to do with PIA's bad shape. PIA's problem is sort of simple i.e. it is owned by government and operated by government employees... hence the reflection of accountability, efficiency, business-mindedness etc.

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

Oh Uncle, PIA was owned and operation by the government in the fifties and sixties too but back then, even you agree, that standards were high and it was in the Top 10 airlines.

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

oh aunty there was not as much corruption, lack of accountability, inefficiency as it is now in the government.

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

^ Main aunty kaisay ban giya? Aap ki biwi aap kw boht pitai laga di? :hehe:

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

I have some family and friends that work in PIA and they say the same. The airline has been ruined by nepotism and political games of the worst sort. It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that if you start hiring unqualified people to do jobs, then that company/enterprise is going nowhere but down. The airline is nearly always late, does not do its job of transporting people as it promises, and has extremely unqualified people working in its top positions. I am not surprised to see that this ship is going to sink soon.

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

ye to aap ke maa baap hi bata saktay hayn :p

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

privatize it- let the public run its own airline
hand it over to a established industrial group that will make it profitable
no big deal - the only thing is, they might want to start from scratch, which means giving the boot to all bhanjay, bhateejay, chachay mammay etc etc
i dont see any other way out, with the amount of damage already done, its just a matter of time before planes start falling apart in mid air.

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

Or they could just hire a Consultant and do the deed. Cut off employees who are hampering what little revenue it does bring in, and then keeep it strictly business from then on. No hand-outs, No MNA/MPA pre-reserved seats unless they pay for it. I mean ofcourse they could get the discount like an employee would.

It's the royal-treatment of the VVVIP and the 'i know somebody who knows somebody who works at PIA' attitude's got to go for good.

Privatization is definately an option. But it should be sourced to a Pakistani Corporation, so it remains a national Asset.

Just my opinions/thoughts :)

Timepass
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Re: PIA in really bad shape

If I’m not mistaking PIA is under the control of defense ministry. So, retired or not generals do control it…indirectly.

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

The problem with the PIA is that it used to or still do everything of its own (non core operating activities) from producing hen to printing its own statioenry etc.

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Re: PIA in really bad shape

Sounds good on paper - but it is not possible. Partial Privatization is THE ONLY solution that has somewhat worked for us.