The retrenchment of PIA employees is in the news. As many as 7,000 employees will be shown the door either through voluntary separation scheme (VSS) or through lay-offs. Also, PIA is considering moving its head office from Karachi to Islamabad as a part of its restructuring scheme. This move will further reduce its manpower as most of the people who are well settled in Karachi will opt to take early retirement instead of moving to Islamabad as their children have their schools, colleges and jobs in Karachi. This reminded me of the episode of shifting of the capital from Karachi to Islamabad in the mid 1960s which affected the lives of a majority of Karachi’s residents, mostly Urdu-speaking people who had barely settled after migrating from India. Our family was one of those who preferred to stay in Karachi and suffered the effects of unemployment. Now when there is a wave of unemployment due to Covid-19, the retrenchment of employees of PIA, PSM and Pakistan Railways will make things difficult for the salaried class. Most disturbing is the fact that the people at the helm of affairs are least concerned about the dilemma faced by these people and their families. They are just busy in either blaming the opposition for all the ills or announcing petty projects of hens and eggs and honey bee farming.
In a recent interview to a local TV channel, Prime Minister Imran Khan, disturbed by the barrage of questions about the plight of citizens due to rising commodity prices and employment, put a counter question to the host, Paras Jahanzaib, and said, “What should I do?” I think the answer would have been the following, “Ask your large team of ministers and advisers; they are being paid for it”. My fear is that unemployment, rising prices, the Covid-19 pandemic and political instability may soon lead this nation to a catastrophe situation.
Malik ul Quddoos
Karachi