Employees warn govt not to re-initiate PIA’s privatisation plan

PESHAWAR: The Joint Action Committee of Pakistan International Airlines’ Employees (JACPIAE) has warned the government not to re-initiate the process of privatisation of the national flag carrier, otherwise the employees will start their agitation again.

“We have reason to believe through actions of management and through media reports that the government is again planning to initiate the privatisation process of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA),” said Hidayatullah Khan, president People’s Unity and deputy convener JACPIAE?.

A statement issued by JACPIAE said that senior members of all the key associations and unions held a meeting on Saturday.Hidayatullah Khan said they would restart their protest if the government sticks to its plan of privatising PIA.

 “The brutal murder of two companions is also yet to be investigated, which had been promised by the government and law-enforcement agencies. Our fellow workers embraced Shahadat by giving their lives for this cause; how can we now let the privatisation happen?” he said.

The Senate and parliament had to block the privatisation of PIA through a resolution, followed by a bill, earlier this year when thousands of employees of the airlines started protesting.JACPIAE leaders were of the view that the prime minister should fulfil his promise of not privatising the airlines.

“We had a meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and he categorically stated that he would not let the privatisation of the national airlines happen,” said a member.The employees association under the banner of JACPIAE had tried to convince the prime minister that the employees could make PIA profitable if given a chance.

They said the aims and objectives of JACPIAE were very clear and they would resist the privatisation till the very end. They said that privatisation never produced desired results in Pakistan, especially when it comes to transparency. The PIA has had a strategic value and served as a helping hand to the government when it comes to connect people from far flung areas like Gilgit, Chitral, Gwadar and Zhob to the main cities.

They said the PIA also plays an important role in the country’s defence, details of which cannot be shared publicly. They added that the government through privatisation would only end up increasing unemployment and subsequently lawlessness.