Privatisation or politicisation of PIA

ISLAMABAD: The proposal to set up a new airline replacing PIA to counter strike of thousands of employees may generate a new controversy and would further aggravate the situation particularly when government representative is meeting Joint Action Committee. So, whoever is behind the move is not a friend of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The protesters also need to realise that PIA can't remain grounded for long nor they could sustain the strike for a few more days.

Interestingly, the new airline which would also be run in the public sector if true would be contradictory to the claim of Privatisation Commission Chairman Mr Zubair that government responsibility was not to run the institutions but to do legislation. Hope, he will succeed in his negotiations with the union, but it requires flexibility from both the sides.

On the other hand, some opposition parties, using their labour wings to exploit the situation, are not doing any service to save the PIA both from privatisation and politicisation. Ironically, trade unions like student unions have been damaged over the years when political parties decided to form their wings in unions and thus divided the workers on the basis of political affiliations rather on issues.

A senior PML-N leader suspected a foul play after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif almost reached an agreement with the union leaders and agreed in suspending the decision for six months. He has even ready to consider the union's proposal and asked them to present the formula in order to make PIA a profitable organisation and overcome its losses," he told this scribe.

If it is true, the union leaders perhaps have missed the bus but they can still catch the bus and accept the firm commitment from the PM. Government on its part should also show some flexibility.

He feared that some outside interference forced some union leaders to change their strategy as they resorted to confrontation and that too without much homework, needed for such an action.

The mystery further deepened when two PIA employees were killed. If what the intelligence agencies have gathered about the killings is true, it neither is good news for the protesters nor for one opposition party.

Four suspects have been identified and some unconfirmed reports suggest they have also been detained. The detention of the union leaders of People’s Unity, affiliated with PPP, also said to be linked with the incident. One of the detained leaders said to be close to leaders of the opposition Syed Khursheed Shah.

So the idea of a new airline in this backdrop could be an attempt to sabotage the negotiation as it would create uncertainty among the employees and give weight to the argument that the government wants to privatise the airline.

The sources said that some had even suggested names like Pakistan Airways or National Airline indicating that the idea of a new airline was already in the mind of those having eye on PIA. The meeting chaired by the PM had even given the task to present the proposal in concrete form within 120 days.

It is also quite intriguing as why all of a sudden without even giving second thought to the resignation of PIA Chairman Nasir Jaffar, it was accepted and responsibility was assigned to Aviation secretary. Why was he not even heard?

If a person like Privatisation Commission Chairman, Mr Zubair, considered Jaffar as a competent person, a thorough professional, the premier should have asked him to continue till the crisis is over. The sources close to former PIA chairman disclosed that Mr Jaffar feared that certain people on decision making position within the government were also responsible for aggravating this situation which could have been resolved.

The idea of a new airline is also a confession of failure of the government to resolve the crisis and one wondered whether in the presence of such a competent Board of Directors and PIA's top management, the issue remained unresolved.

The sources said that the proposal could be a move to end the strike but the presence of a former top official of PIA beside others indicates that the government is serious about new airline.

If that is the case, what about the assets and liabilities of PIA, runs in billions, thousands of employees and management. The credibility and reputation of PIA Board of Directors comprising highly credible people is beyond suspicion.

Besides, there is still a mystery as to why and who allowed private airlines to raise their fare without seeking permission. Will any action be taken against them? Simple answer is, No. The move also indicates that in future we may seek a proposal for new Pakistan Steel, PS, new Pakistan Railway etc. After all, we have a habit of making, "Naya Pakistan."

It would not be difficult to judge as to who were responsible for destroying these national assets, which once were in profit. The loss is not in billions but in some cases in trillions but the beneficiaries were a few, both civilian and non-civilian managers.

PIA which once used to be in profit, more disciplined and well-managed, under the dynamic personalities like late Air Marshal Noor Khan and even handled well by someone like the then chairman Arif Abbasi who is "grounded," today.

So, what is the solution to the problem instead of new airline?

(1). No political interference in the appointment and let an autonomous board be allowed to take the decision. (2) PIA Chairman, MD, top directors should come from within the organisation instead from outside. (3) Board of Directors, should be completely authorised to take decisions without any pressure. (4) High powered commission of highly reputed and professional people be constituted to probe the causes of such huge loses. It should suggest ways and means to improve the situation and report be submitted within 90 days (5) The commission should also work in detail on the issue of over-staffing, if it is due to the appointments of incompetent people, but it should also identify how these were made in which period and why rules and procedures were not followed.

There can be a Parliament oversight but at the same time parties having representation in NA and Senate should not intervene in the professional matters nor for any sifarish be made as more often happened.

The prime minister should announce end of VIP culture and flights should not delay because of any minister or MNA, Senator. One window operation on the basis of economy and business class be followed and except for elders, all other counters should be closed.

In an era of trade union, decline and politicisation of union politics, the complete strike of PIA, throughout Pakistan and that too on above party affiliations indicate that the issue is far more serious than perhaps the government had thought.

But the Union leaders must realise that the worst sufferers in agitation in public sectors in particular are the common people and workers themselves.

PIA must not die nor any other national institutions but it should not also be robbed the way they were looted by handful of people in the last 30/40 years. There is no doubt that it’s a difficult situation and some people are also politicising the situation.

In order to recover from huge losses, you need unpopular decisions, but, through better planning, restructuring, non-interference, and strict accountability, things can improve. There is a need to have a national policy or National Action Plan for progress agreed by all the parties.

"Great People can still Fly," with PIA, provided we really want them to fly, but let PIA, airline fly first.  

The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of GEO, The News and Jang.