Pakistan Airways Limited

Letter February 27, 2016
It seems that Pakistan Airways is being set up to accommodate some dear ones

MANAMA, KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN: The new Pakistan Airways Limited has been introduced, fooling people that it will create a soft image of Pakistan in the world. This nation has been seeing such vested-interest dramas for decades. The purpose behind such moves has invariably been something else than what was being painted.

One fine morning during the second tenure of Benazir Bhutto, a change of colour patterns for all express trains was announced. The first train to undergo this scheme was Tezgam. While inaugurating the first train at Karachi Cantt Railway Station, trying to fool the nation as usual, the then railway minister told journalists that the new colour scheme would prompt ticketless passengers to purchase tickets. Thankfully, before the second train — Karachi Express — underwent this scheme, the Pakistan People’s Party government went to Dubai. How many passengers travelling without tickets purchased tickets travelling in the new coloured Tezgam, is not known. However, it is on official record that large quantities of colour paint orders were placed with the NWFP paint manufacturing factory of the then railway minister’s brother.

We keep introducing a new ‘mohtasib’ with a new label over the already existing ones such as the Children Complaint Cell, expanding regional offices with complaints cells more and more. The Grievances Commissioner Cell for Overseas Pakistanis, on top of the already-existing FIA Overseas Pakistanis Complaint Cell, are not really providing any benefits to the nation. These organisations are all excuses to provide jobs to dear ones. Similarly, Pakistan Airways is being set up to accommodate some dear ones, for whom there could not be found other ‘suitable’ chairs.

Muhammad Javed

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th,  2016.

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