KARACHI / RAWAL­PINDI: Workers of the Pakistan International Airlines called off their strike against the proposed privatisation and resumed flight operations on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference at the airline’s head office, the chairman of Joint Action Committee of PIA Employees, Capt Sohail Baloch, announced the decision and said that a team of the protesting workers, led by him, would visit Lahore for a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

He said workers had decided to call off the strike after they were assured that the issues would be resolved amicably. But he did not give any details of the assurances or who had given these assurances.

Capt Baloch said he would disclose details at a press conference in Lahore after meeting the chief minister and expressed hope that the matter would be resolved amicably.

He had said on Monday that PIA employees could hold talks with Mr Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan because they were “reasonable people”.

Capt Baloch said the strike had been called off because concerns were being expressed about safety and security of passengers and aircraft. “PIA employees cannot compromise on security of passengers and equipment.”

Sources close to the JAC had told Dawn on Monday that back channel negotiations with government officials were at an advance stage and the issue would be resolved in a day or two.


JAC chief Sohail Baloch says employees have been assured of amicable resolution of issues


The sources said the strike had been called off because the government had insisted that the negotiations could start only after flight operations resumed.

If talks with the chief minister failed, workers could look into other options, including resumption of their protest, the sources added.

More than 600 domestic and international flights were cancelled during the strike and the financially crippled national airline had suffered a loss of over Rs3 billion.

A PIA spokesman said on Tuesday night that the entire flight schedule, including that for all international flights, has been restored. Passengers may come to airports as per their flight reservations.

He said: “The PIA apologises for the inconvenience caused to its valued passengers” during the strike.

“Due to adjustments being made to accommodate a maximum number of passengers in relatively short time, some change in timings of flights may occur. Passengers are advised to contact PIA centres (051-111-786-786 and 021-111-786-786) before coming to airports and get exact timing and confirmation of flights. We are striving to provide best possible services and any inconvenience is regretted,” the spokesman said.

Earlier, PML-N MNA Hamza Shahbaz held a meeting with office-bearers of Air League of PIA Employees Union at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport on Tuesday.

According to sources, the PML-N leader reached the airport at about 11.45am after staying in Islamabad for more than two hours.

The sources said the Air League people who were against the strike met Mr Hamza, who flew to Lahore on a special aircraft at about 12.20pm.

While the meeting between Mr Hamza and Air League office-bearers was in progress, there were rumours in the protest camp that the ice was melting and Tuesday might be the last day of the strike.

Employees booked, arrested

Airport police have registered a case against five striking PIA employees for threatening the station manager and the in charge of technical ground staff posted at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport and their families with dire consequences if they operated the airline’s flights.

The FIR was registered on a complaint filed by the general manager (security), retired Major Nadeem Arif Chaudhry.

According to the complainant, Shoaib Yousafzai, Zaigham Kiani, Ramzan Laghari, Sohail Mukhtar and Talat Azad had made threatening phone calls to S.M. Iqbal, station manager, and Shafqat Malik in charge of TGS, Islamabad.

The accused got pre-arrest bail on Tuesday morning from an additional district and sessions court till Feb 16.

Meanwhile, three PIA employees were arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order on Tuesday and sent to Adiala Jail for seven days on the orders of the district coordination officer.

Sohail Mukhtar, Tariq Aziz Dar and Saleem Akhtar Bhatti were accused of inciting fellow employees to protest and to take out a procession against PIA privatisation.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2016

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