I RETIRED on April 4, 1982, from PIA as its chief pilot. That makes me one of the longest, or perhaps the longest ‘living’ retired pilot from PIA; almost 40 years. I, therefore, find myself obliged to write a few lines in support of the letter ‘PIA pensioners’ woes’ (Jan 17).

Even in our depraved times, it goes against the grain of most employers to cheat their own elderly pensioners. PIA, of course, remains the exception. When PIA commutes half the retirees’ pension for 10 years, the pension remains commuted for life. All organisations – government and non-government – banks, armed forces, et al. without exception, restore the pensions of their retirees promptly after 10 years of retirement; not PIA.

Pakistan Air Force cannot afford to retain a ‘current’ fleet of long-range, heavy, transport jets. PIA, in fact, serves as the de-facto ‘transport command’ of the PAF during wars. Many PIA pilots lie in their watery graves under the sea around the Indian peninsula from the 1971 war. One PIA B-707 crashed and kept lying with its tail facing skywards near the Urumqi runway in China for a long time. PIA always served most willingly, beyond the call of duty, without expecting anything in return whatsoever.

Many PAF officers take early retirement and join PIA. They fly as co-pilots and are trained to fly passenger planes by PIA instructors. Some of them get positions of authority in the PIA administration.

We have had many air marshals who were appointed chairmen. Yet, when the subject of restoring the commuted pensions of PIA retirees comes up, they always look the other way, although they themselves receive their full pension promptly; the instant they complete 10 years of retirement from the PAF. What is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander, it seems.

The few ageing PIA pensioners, who are still alive, are too frail to do anything about this grave injustice. They have reconciled themselves to going to their graves fatalistically, drawing a half pension, like most of their contemporaries already have. God bless PIA!

Capt. S. Afaq Rizvi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2021