Feb 08 , 2016

News

PIA flight operation resumes partially; 725 Umrah pilgrims back from Jeddah
* JAC claimed flights operated were ‘illegal’ as they didn’t meet international security standards g Committee begins probe into shooting incident

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Eight Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights departed from and landed at Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) on Sunday, after five days of stalled operations at all major international airports of the country.

Two flights carrying Umrah pilgrims from Jeddah landed at the airport. The first flight PK-7330 carried 400 passengers while the second flight PK-760 carried 325 passengers. A PIA plane carried passengers from Islamabad to Gilgit, while another flight brought passengers from Gilgit to Islamabad.

Flights PK 4232 and PK 605 departed for Abu Dhabi and Gilgit from BBIA this morning, while flights PK 4231 and 606 arrived at Islamabad airport from Abu Dhabi and Gilgit.

Although the PIA employees’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) has resolved to continue their protest against the government’s plans to privatise the national flag carrier, PIA spokesman Daniyal Gillani said flight operations are ‘partially on’ and will pick up in the coming week. “Some employees are willing to come to work. They operated the flights [that arrived and departed from BBIA] this morning,” he said.

JAC members claimed the flights operated were ‘illegal’ as they weren’t up to the international security standards.

The Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA) had on Saturday announced its withdrawal from the strike against PIA’s privatisation, with the organisation head directing pilots to resume their duties. PALPA added in a statement that pilots were neither instrumental in halting the flight operations nor could they alone resume it.

Palpa President Amir Hashmi earlier said, “At least 410 out of 430 pilots in PALPA are in favour of resumption of flight operations but they should be provided adequate security as we are receiving threats from the protesters.” PIA employees have also voiced concerns about security, an official speaking on condition of anonymity said. “PIA employees are afraid of going to work. Little security arrangements have been made for them,” he said.

JAC Spokesman Nasrullah Khan, however, said, “We are not pressuring employees to stop working or calling them to protest... We are peaceful.”

Television footage showed PIA employees protesting outside the country’s four major airports as the strike against privatisation entered sixth day.

Nasrullah said protesters will hold a rally in Karachi on Monday (today) near the PIA Head Office at around 12pm. He said a petition submitted in the Sindh High Court regarding the ‘mysterious’ disappearances of four People’s Unity members has been accepted for hearing, although a date for the first hearing is pending. “We haven’t named anyone in the petition. Our workers were picked up from their houses. We want to know why,” he said.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

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