THE strike by some PIA employees is over and operations are normal, but the unprecedented nine to 10-day shutdown, which crippled the carrier already in the red, has left many questions unanswered.

Who fired the fatal shots which killed two PIA employees? The police did not, nor did the Rangers as they have not been nominated in the FIR. Then who did?

Without achieving anything the strike was abruptly ended. One day earlier, there was no compromise, the next day the strike unconditionally ended. What caused this?

The strike was engineered in a way that caused maximum damage to the airline. According to media reports, people in the management opposed to privatisation may also be involved.

Political parties seeing the government’s predicament jumped into the fray, in fake sympathy for the Joint Action Committee of PIA just to make political capital out of this opportunity. Unfortunately, the JAC welcomed them. Ironically, both the PPP and PTI have privatisation in their manifestos.

A colossal amount of Rs4 to Rs5 billion was lost during this strike, which has caused irreparable damage to the airline in monetary terms and in reputation. It will be months or maybe more before the airline limps back to normality.

The government must act fast to unearth the people behind this.

Qasim Khan

Karachi

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THE strike is over and air service restored. What did these protestors want in the first place? Their leaders’ press talks and commotion made no sense. They were against privatisation. Then what has the government given them that the strike fizzled out in minutes?

Has the government backed out of privatisation? If so, then what plans does the government have to pay off Rs380 bn loss and counting. If so, then what about nearly Rs500 bn circular debt to IPPs? Pakistan Steel’s losses are not included in this massive total. PIA’s Rs30bn annual deficit has to be kept in mind.

The most difficult question is why the government has given in to an unreasonable demand by these JAC leaders. May the public know the panacea that the government has given to them? Can we have a press conference of someone, a minister, who can tell us about this?

A. H.

Lahore

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2016