ISLAMABAD: Karachi police arrested eight suspects from different areas of Karachi while lodging a case against four unidentified assailants in connection with Shah's murder, on Sunday.
Earlier Interior Minister Rehman Malik had ordered the formation of a joint investigation team to probe the murder of PPP affiliate and PIA employees union President, Amir Shah.
Shah, who also worked as former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's security guard in 2007, was killed in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area of Karachi when unknown assailants opened fire on his car on Saturday evening.
A notification issued by the Interior Ministry on Sunday said a committee headed by DIG police Sindh will submit findings within three days. The notification additionally said that the deadline could be extended if needed.
The Federal Investigation Agency officials have also been directed to work with the investigation team.
Strike on, strike off
Employees of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) went on a strike on Sunday against the murder of president of Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) PIA employee union Amir Shah. The strike was later called off after a short protest that resulted in the delay of flights to Dubai, Manchester, London, Damam and Abu Dhabi.
In protest to the killing, PIA employees had abandoned their counters at the Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad airports which resulted in delays of local and international flights.
Peoples Unity Information Secretary Amir Dar said that the future course of action will be decided after Shah’s burial at 2pm on Sunday.
COMMENTS (31)
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@ Mirza, thanks for correcting me,,,but i meant to say that there is no link between security guard and union officer,,,how did he land up job there is still a question,,,
@umair: Union jobs are not high position jobs, that is why it is called labor union not officer union.. In fact any supervisor or manager is not allowed to be a member of trade union. In the US most of the large trade unions are active in politics and they usually support liberal candidates of Democratic Party.
@grinz09: I will happily embrace "democracy" once the political parties & labour unions in this country shun blackmailing, violence & become "democratic" themselves.
Whether conditions of any government or semi government office is better than PIA, for example railways, highways, steel mill, wapda, irrigation, PSO, Port Trusts, PNSC, Hydro Power, Nicl, Old-age-benefit, customs, ASF or any other department, any division and any system in the country.
How does all this justify or relate in any way to an innocent killing @Yousaf:
Politics is a right. It should be allowed and encouraged to be exercised specially in big organisations like PIA. Trade Union activities are very much part and parcel of the political process.
Murder is heinous crime, it should be condemned and the perpetuate rs be brought to the justice. Please condemn the crime not the fundamental political rights.
@grinz09: Please educate yourself. PIA is NOT a commercial organization. It is government owned, and is heavily subsidized.
So one PPP activist dies and there is an investigation! What about the hundred others who die everyday in Karachi??
@grinz09:
lol, if PIA were a proper commercial organization, it would have gone bankrupt decades ago. It is a government organization through and through, and that is the ONLY reason it survives to this day.
ONLY ONE JIYALA DOWN, 6 CRORES STILL READY TO SACRIFICE THEIR LIVES.
@grinz09: It seems politics flows in our blood. Is there any institution in Pakistan free from politics & political influence?
With due apologies to the most "intellectuals" posting comments on this news item: You are totally off the point. An innocent man lost his life irrespective of his political affiliations, and your insensitive attitude, political bias, and hatred keeps on refraining you from condemning the murder, which is sickening. However, this is Pakistan we are talking about, where human life is worthless if it is not that of a terrorist, or a criminal for which we always find many sympathizers among the rightists.
@meena gabeena: I share your thoughts and concerns, and my heart and prayers go out to the families of the deceased. May he RIP.
Mr. Shah's murder was similar other murders in Karachi. Can sombody JUSTIY the terrible situation faced by hundered of passengers stuck on the Airport. Was Mr. Shah more valuable than other innocent peoples being killed in Karachi. What was the share of children, women, elders and their hundred of relatives waiting at airport. Can the Govt criminal silent officials and office bearers give reasons why the flights were disrupted resulting not only a big loss to PIA but people may have lost their jobs abroad as their visas expired upon arrival to their destination. Do u think these peoples have any sympathy to the deceased family of Late Shah. PP should down its Flag for 3 days as he was security guard of Benazir Bhutto. This is a clear cut message to all Pakistanies to be careful while making a reservation to PIA. as anytime one of their hundred office bearers may be killed on the road. From now Own I will not take a risk to travel by PIA unless I have only option to travel. Sorry for the new bride groom who has to suffer as they killed Shah? Govt will not take care of a big loss as they care only the benefit of their party. Finally, Democracy in Pakistan is not in its interest, YES we dont need democracy of this type. Let me say Musharraf time was 100 time better than now.
point to be noted is that,,,a person who used to be body guard was employed in PIA and was the union head President,,which implies that he must be on some top job,,,im wondering how did the security guard landed job in PIA and becum the union president,,,,
@ meena, grinz is right,,,PIA management should offer their condolence to the grieved family but the entire operations can not be brought to halt, if this would be the case, then PIA would be soon out of business,,,,
@meena gabeena: What was this political appointee doing in PIA to begin with!
Zardari, in the footsteps of Z A Bhutto, believes in lateral entrants in professional institutions. He has stuffed jayalas in PIA.
Pakistan has never and will never prosper with ppp in power.
@meena gabeena: Because PIA is a commerial organization. Not meant for party workers but only professionals like any business organization.
@meena, PPP should not have anything to do with PIA. This is not how you run a commercial aviation business. When Lee Kuan Yew's (Founder of Singapore) wife passed away (She was the equivalent of Fatima Jinnah) there was no public holiday, the country didnt grind to a halt. Look at the difference. This airline is being run in the same way as the country. God Help us!
why are ppp people always killed? and y shouldn't the PIA employees have a strike when one of their employee is murdered and noone is doing anything about iit?
This ridicilous procedure will keep going until the political parties stopped sending there ppl to PIA. and all knows which is the political party strong in PIA
PIA is a financial mess. It is a drain on nation's finances as it has to be subsidised
The service is pretty bad
The aircrafts are so old that they are ready to go into a museum.
PIA shares in 2004 were over Rs 20. Today the share value is about Rs 2.20
This is what happens when you have cronies appointed to head PIA..................................
I am frequent flyer of PIA - there is motive behind why I or my family choose to fly via PIA, this is because when we were young, it was our dream to fly by PIA.. I can't forget their tag line "Great People Fly with PIA".. and of course the patriotism and the feel of being within our own people.
But over the years, we are forced to choose other airlines mainly because of PIA's treatment, lack of professionalism, behavior, inappropriate conditions, mismanagement and extremely rude staff and cabin crew. Nevertheless, there are good people too but very few.
I would like give an example: Once we headed towards PIA's office in Abu Dhabi to book 2 tickets.... they had printed the name wrong which they refused to correct and said, no problem it will be alright, there were no Email facility to email the tickets to clients, no Fax to receive the passport copies of the clients.
This is one of the reasons why PIA is a loss making entity; Employees deliberately damaging the business of an organization.
PIA Employees are the main reason of downfall of PIA..who once lend their aircraft to Emirates Airline to start their company.
Now Emirates Airline goes almost every part of the world and every cosmopolitan city of the world and PIA is trying to survive.
PIA once took Dr. Henry Kissinger to China...now even a mere US Govt employee will not board on PIA.
If you guys want to know more of this great airline destroyed by Bureaucracy and the PIA Management... visit http://www.historyofpia.com/list_main.htm
No where in the world do political parties have their branches in commercial organizations!