Govt fails to convince JAC on resuming PIA flight operations
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KARACHI: Members of the Joint Action Committee of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees, led by Sohail Baloch, called on Privatisation Minister Mohammad Zubair late Friday evening, DawnNews reported.
The meeting was aimed at resolving the deadlock between the government and the protesting PIA employees, and to reach a consensus on resuming the stalled flight operations of the national flag carrier.
However, details of the meeting reveal that the deadlock still prevails as both the parties are not willing to compromise on their respective stance.
Later addressing a joint press conference, Zubair said they have requested the Joint Action Committee to resume the flight operation, considering the troubles faced by the passengers.
On this the chairman of Joint Action Committee sought apology from the passengers but went on to say that “as long as our demands are not met and a decision is not reached, the flight operation will remain suspended”.
Baloch said that talks can go no further until their four 'missing members' are released.
Mohammad Zubair had expressed government's willingness to hold negotiations with protesting PIA employees, said spokesman for the JAC, Nasrullah Khan.
Nasrullah questioned, however, why the minister's statement was so contradictory to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's who vowed not to bow down due to any "unreasonable and unlawful strike" on Friday.
"There are elements who do not want to see PIA prosper ... they want to do politics of personal interests," the premier said, while addressing a session at Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Kashmir Day.
Nasrullah said JAC would be open to talks with government but "[our demands][5] will remain the same in every case".
More than 350 flights have been cancelled since [the strike][1] against the government's proposed plan to privatise the national airline commenced earlier this week.
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Comments (51) Closed
Feb 06, 2016 01:16am
Govt has some other priorities..
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Feb 06, 2016 01:16am
Extremely weak Ministry of privatization. Unnecessary dialog with unwanted unionist and burden on PIA. Remove this guy (minister) first and then start privatization process.
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Feb 06, 2016 01:26am
"We apologize to the PIA passengers but our demands needs to be met".
This overloaded and overburdened carrier has no sense of responsibility and no clue what customer service really means.
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Feb 06, 2016 01:28am
It is only fair that PIA employees do not be given salary for the duration while they are not doing their job and causing losses to grow bigger.
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Feb 06, 2016 01:29am
PIA cannot trust this govt.
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Feb 06, 2016 01:33am
Let them go strike ,PIA was a liability anyways.Their service is not good they should be privatize so that it can be profitable again.These people have hostage the PIA for their own selfish agendas
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Feb 06, 2016 01:44am
Mismanagement is the issue for any business particularly when oversight has vested interest
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Feb 06, 2016 01:52am
Corrupt vs Corrupt:
We have lost faith on this government and nor do we have faith in PIA JAC representing demands that are unjust and backing employees who have been given jobs based on their political association.
But one thing for sure ! Stop paying my tax money to keep PIA alive.
If there is any shame left, all political appointees/employees should leave PIA allowing genuine employees to make this a wonderful national carrier.
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Feb 06, 2016 02:05am
i have booked flight for my kids and wife as my mother passed away last month. Now you tell me what to do. Sad to say strong words.No humanity especially in beloved country.
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Feb 06, 2016 02:05am
Like people like govt. Both stubborn to the core. This awam truly deserve such leaders.
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Feb 06, 2016 02:06am
Any other developed country with this crisis, the government would have resigned by now.
Unfortunately country like Pakistan the govt. who itself is responsible for this crisis has no shame !!!
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Feb 06, 2016 02:30am
this Govt and failure are inevitable and will stay glued to each other until one of them cease to exist, which is not going to happen soon.... just like hand is to glove. nothing new or unexpected.... this Govt is full of incompetent and corrupt mind people....
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Feb 06, 2016 02:37am
crazy people let be fair PIA have 15200 staff members but PIA need only 4560 people to operate 38 plan. if PIA have only staff which is required I am sure it will be in profit same time every only must be sincere in there responsibilities then no need to privatize
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Feb 06, 2016 02:50am
What a joke these people are. If they were professionals from the Day 1, PIA would not see this day. They have provided poor service for decades and now face the extinction threat due to their non-professional attitudes.
We were supposed to fly from London tomorrow and now are left in limbo because of the strike.
Unions around the Globe have ethics they adhere to before going on a strike. Nobody calls an indefinite strike straight away and leave the public/customers without any help.
They have shots themselves on their foot once again. I hope this time they don't survive and privatisation goes ahead.Good for public & no burden on public purse.
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Feb 06, 2016 02:56am
It is pertinent to note that Sohail Baloch belong from PPP and Mr Nasrullah Khan belong from one Ethnic nationalist party. The whole top domain of PIA represent PPP and their Jiyalas or their allies. Khwaja Saad rafique cleared the mess from the appointees of ANP and Railway started working. Here someone should do the same. Otherwise Union leaders with Political, Ethnic and Regional agendas will destroy the integrity of this entity.
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Feb 06, 2016 03:04am
Blackmailing doesn't work. PIA workers better start working for a change.
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Feb 06, 2016 03:05am
RIP PIA.
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Feb 06, 2016 03:11am
If PIA employees really cared about PIA, they would not have caused so much problems to their customers who pay for PIA's revenues. A civilized approach to highlight their demands would have been a graduated strike, which means they would go on strike for a day to make their point and then based on government's response ratchet up their protest gradually. An outright indefinite strike is pure 'badmaashi' and shows that PIA employees don't care about their customers and this is exactly why PIA is facing massive losses.
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Feb 06, 2016 03:38am
Sack them all, they have messed up this beautiful airline.
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Feb 06, 2016 03:38am
Nepotism and favoritism is the only criteria for landing a job in the PIA. It is no doubt that the reason these protests are so successful is because many of these employees belong from the same families. How will they not be united.
Mr Nasrullah as an honest taxpayer I demand why is it I am burdened with satisfying your appetite while simultaneously you put me and other compatriots life at risk by hiring incompetent cronies to run the organisation. I stand behind NS. This crowd needs to be disbursed now even if it requires sticks and batons. We can let people like these to wreak havoc with our nation, much less take control of our fate and life.
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Feb 06, 2016 03:45am
I say sell all assets of PIA and send striking employees home. For years, people of Pakistan have paid for their mismanagement. No more Jayala, MQM, N Leauge etc. recruitment. This gravy train has come to halt for good. We have seen enough of PIA counters all over the world working very different than any other world know airlines. They have no discipline, no courtesy let alone sense of duty.
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Feb 06, 2016 03:46am
PIA employees are absolutely right. There is no way one can trust this government. Under PPP's government the same PML-N leadership was protesting outside parliament holding banners saying that they will not allow PIA privitization.
In addition it is not about privitization anymore. It is about the loss of innocent lives. Yesterday it was Lahore model town massacre, today it is PIA and God knows what lies in the future. Is it democracy or dictatorship? The nation should get together and support PIA and its employees because it is them who are suffering tomorrow it can be anyone else's turn.
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Feb 06, 2016 03:47am
When emergency act is activated why is the govt hesitant for not taking action against the striking workers.This strike is all politically motivated.detain the Jac members and all the workers will come to their senses.
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Feb 06, 2016 03:52am
looks like PIA is heading for closure
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Feb 06, 2016 04:00am
This govt haven't got a clue how to deal with any kind of crises the bunch of incompetent running the country
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Feb 06, 2016 04:03am
isaq dar has already committed to imf about privatization. He is lying to the people of pakistan
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Feb 06, 2016 04:04am
It is not just a PIA issue but political parties got involved and their hate towards Nawaz Shariff is exploiting situation.
Why PIA has been going in loss -Mismanagements and over staff. World other lines are making money but PIA WHY?
The plight of passenger from overseas that booked their tickets in advance months earlier after taking leave from work and those returning to work. PIA as it is can not survive and the government can not bear these losses. PIA strikers must negotiate and come to some understanding. These Dharnas of IK and strikes are not helping anyone least of all PIA workers
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Feb 06, 2016 04:13am
Let there be privatisation of PIA
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Feb 06, 2016 04:20am
Where is Arif Ali Khan Abbassi He is the only person who can turnaround the airline and lead the team
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Feb 06, 2016 04:22am
WHY are we doing that ,,, Fire the filth and get real workers!!!
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Feb 06, 2016 04:30am
Sell all the planes (if they're worth any) and start a new Airline altogether.
Get rid of this staff and JAC altogether!!!
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Feb 06, 2016 04:42am
@AXH, its not just about Customer Service brother but they also lack human values.. Its so sad that for them its all about their ego. This is one corrupted airline
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Feb 06, 2016 04:47am
the bloated beaurocracy of the PIA needs to be cut down to size. How is it possible that they can compete in today's airline market with this type of a work ethic and lack of professional behaviour. Pakistan deserves better!!
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Feb 06, 2016 04:49am
@Nafis what a third class comment.
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Feb 06, 2016 04:57am
If PIA air hostesses didnt have attitude problem and the food wasnt stale then i wouldn't have changed to Turkish airways.
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Feb 06, 2016 05:14am
The height of greed is PIA.
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Feb 06, 2016 05:14am
PML (N) government should step down as they don't know how to run democracy.
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Feb 06, 2016 05:18am
And Nawaz Sharif said earlier if PIA staff does not get back to theirs jobs they will be fired. So much about his vision and ability to handle national issues.
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Feb 06, 2016 05:19am
Dear PPP and PTI understand please, it is NOT a privatization of PIA,, the decision has already been done, when we saw Mr. Court Marialled man as PIA Boss, no one spoke at that, even the Air Force, Navy and Army Chiefs, why?? Only court asked to remove him, so, it means, it's OK with the Defence Forces to have a court martial guy in the Government, NOT only talking to top brass, but is one to one with the CE of the Country.
Nawaz Sharif and his company, has already purchased PIA, period.
Now they want Pakistan Steel Mill before end of the term of this Government, because Sharifs understand that there might NOT be any further chance, it can be terminated by Army because of corruption and kartoots. Get what ever is possible.
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Feb 06, 2016 05:22am
Mr. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Don't test the limits of divine laws, you will fail and law of nature will catch up with you all - and you all will be afflicted by an unknown affliction for torturing the down to earth poor class subjects of Pakistani communities such as PIA staff, and their families by you and your companions in the ruling party. Something is called common sense, which is visibly very uncommon in PML (N) corridors.
"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's who vowed not to bow down due to any "unreasonable and unlawful strike," Mr. PM understand the sensitivity of the situation, you, and your party is on the way out?
Pakistani public will be out on streets before you can comprehend it, and its consequences, I don't have a crystal ball. Enough is Enough. You and your party will regret bad decision's you are taking someone is not advising you well. Or once again you have turned to look the other-way being ignorant as you have been the same in the past and have suffered for it.
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Feb 06, 2016 05:30am
@Kp .....Turkish Airways could take over PIA's routes.
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Feb 06, 2016 06:06am
Shame on PIA JAC. Passengers are going to immense torture. Do they have a tiny bit of feeling what defame they are bringing to PIA internationally and locally. Many of Pakistan cities have no flights now.
Thanks to PIA .
Govt must take immediate steps to resume flights specially from cities which had only PIA flights.
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Feb 06, 2016 06:13am
PIA employees are absolutely right. There is no way one can trust this government. Under PPP's government the same PML-N leadership was protesting outside parliament holding banners saying that they will not allow PIA privitization.
In addition it is not about privitization anymore. It is about the loss of innocent lives. Yesterday it was Lahore model town massacre, today it is PIA and God knows what lies in the future. Is it democracy or dictatorship? The nation should get together and support PIA and its employees because it is them who are suffering tomorrow it can be anyone else's turn.
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Feb 06, 2016 06:19am
While I am all out for privatization but it should be very transparent and without any favoritism. I doubt it will happen as wished. With Nawaz Sharif in power he has buddies that needs to be favoured. Secondly the airline must be made profitable with a business plan in place before privatization so it may fetch much better price tag. Who wants to pay big money for a business running in losses unless losses are only on papers in order to sell for cheap price. I smell such conspiracy. Not in favor of Unions and what they are doing to the airline.
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Feb 06, 2016 06:25am
Shutdown would be a big big favor to poor Pakistanis !
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Feb 06, 2016 06:26am
@Nafis - No body trust PIA, full of freeloader !
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Feb 06, 2016 06:34am
Govt. will give in. You know why? Because the MNAs, Senators, MPAs, bureacrats and military officers, and their families travel on PIA on free tickets or subsidized fares. Due to the strike, common citizen is not suffering as much as the elite.
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Feb 06, 2016 06:38am
Most trouble of PIA is political government, be they PPP or PMLN. When Nawaz go anywhere, he takes PIA plane as if service of PIA is free. These politicians cost PIA huge losses due to their corruption, nepotism and using PIA to give jobs to their cronies. Today PMLN want PIA to get privatized, not because of losses, but because PMLN leadership wants to sell PIA cheaply for personal benefit.
Fact is that, PIA should not be privatized, rather, a constitutional law should be enacted, making all national business institution independent entity, where there should be no political appointments, interference, or uses. All government run institutions should be run on merit independent of government, and should get audited by reputable independent bodies every year.
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Feb 06, 2016 08:19am
Prime Minister said that "some elements want to do politics of personal interests"
In this regard Pakistan is unlucky because here, every political party does politics of its own interest. Everyone seeks out such issues which may promote his reputation. It’s not too past that the PML N was in opposition to privatization now she is advocating the advantages of privatization. Is it not such a great issue that parliament may hold a studious debate to take all parties on board? And privatization process may be monitored for any type of monopoly. So I say, Government, Opposition, including PIA, everyone is doing politics of personal interest.
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Feb 06, 2016 12:36pm
Close down the airline and let the unions continue to strike. Start a new airline with new staff
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Feb 07, 2016 07:41am
change its name n compete wid the rest of the world aviation companies.
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