PIA questions

To start with, I would like to recognise the hard work and dedication of all those PIA employees without whom the airline would have collapsed a long time ago. As a taxpayer I would like to ask a few questions about PIA.

Why does PIA have three times the number of employees that airlines like Emirates and Qatar have? Why do Pakistanis prefer to travel abroad on airlines other than PIA? Why should taxpayers subsidise inefficiency and corruption in PIA? Would the nearly Rs200 billion annual loss suffered by PIA not be better spent on education and health? Why is the PPP only concerned about the 15,000 or so employees of PIA? Why are the starving and sick children of Thar not a greater priority for the PPP? Do the unions that are organising strikes think they will earn the sympathies of people? Why do some passengers prefer to travel on private airlines rather than on PIA? Many people have complained of poor service and treatment by PIA. What have taxpayers got in return? What is the salary of a driver in PIA? Will PIA ever be able to stand on its feet financially?

Syed Hussein El-Edroos

Islamabad