Violence as govt-PIA union talks break down

Govt, JAC agree to hold Turkish Airlines agreement.

KARACHI: Violence at Karachi airport followed the breakdown of negotiations in Islamabad between the government and the joint action committee (JAC) representing the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) workers on Wednesday.

Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel baton-charged protesting PIA workers at the Jinnah International airport, Karachi, injuring two women and several media-persons present at the occasion.

The talks between the government and the JAC reportedly failed due to a stalemate over the removal of PIA’s managing director Ijaz Haroon.

The government refused to remove the PIA chief but both parties have agreed to not go ahead with a code-sharing agreement with Turkish Airlines, said JAC head Capt. (retd) Sohail Baloch after the meeting. While the minister for labour and manpower Khurshid Shah claimed the JAC had demanded time over the issue of Haroon’s removal, the claim was later refuted by the JAC.

Shah headed the team formed by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani Tuesday night to negotiate with union leaders of the national carrier. The team included information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira and defence minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar. Kaira was included following the refusal of JAC to engage with Mukhtar.

Meanwhile air travel through Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) remained suspended for a second consecutive day as the national flag carrier was paralysed by its striking workers at airports across the country.

The strike has so far resulted in the cancellation of 59 and delay of 16 domestic and international flights, according to a press release from the PIA. The ongoing protests have already caused a loss of Rs1 billion to the national carrier, added the release.

Benazir Bhutto International, Islamabad was the worst affected where a majority of flights were cancelled, said PIA spokesperson Mashhood Tajwar speaking to The Express Tribune.

Seven PIA aircraft are stranded at the Islamabad Airport as protesters have blocked the entrance of cockpit and cabin crew into the premises, the spokesperson added.

Protesting workers continued their sit-in at the airport road in Islamabad following the breakdown of the negotiations Wednesday night.

NA committee reviews agreement

Defence secretary Lt Gen (retd.) Syed Athar Ali on Wednesday told the National Assembly standing committee on defense that PIA had not signed any agreement to sell its routes to Turkish Airline.

The committee, chaired by Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, expressed its concerns regarding the prospective code sharing agreement between the two airlines.

“PIA has no authority to sign agreement with any other country,” said the defense secretary, adding that neither the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) nor PIA could enter into negotiations with foreign countries on traffic rights. “It comes under the ministry concerned,” he added.

Earlier, MD PIA Ijaz Haroon had disclosed in a meeting of the subcommittee of the aforementioned committee that he had received the approval from the defense ministry to negotiate with Turkish Airlines on traffic rights.

Chaos at Islamabad airport

International flights remained completely suspended while only two flights from Karachi arrived at the Islamabad airport on Wednesday, with one carrying the members of the government’s negotiating team.

Earlier, the ASF officials and Rangers personnel stopped the entry of protesting PIA workers into the airport premises allegedly on the orders of the defence minister.

Meanwhile hundreds of PIA workers continued their protests and block the road outside the airport, chanting slogans against the PIA management.

Stranded in Lahore

While passengers for other airlines waited in the lounge, PIA’s passengers queued at the airline’s reservation and information center, rescheduling their flights as protests by the JAC continued at the Allama Iqbal International airport, Lahore.

Members of the JAC burnt tyres at the square adjacent to the parking entrance of Lahore airport, forcing other passengers to walk to the terminal building with their luggage.

The protesters, including sacked captains and first flight officers, forcibly stopped other pilots and crew members from entering the airport premises.

Anwar Khursheed, a passenger scheduled to depart to Saudi Arabia told the Express Tribune that his flight has been delayed till Friday. The administration itself is not sure if it will depart on Friday either, he said. Khursheed, who had come from the vicinity of Gujranwala, said he would have to hire a private van to go back home given the uncertainty.

Presser in Karachi

At least four Gulf-bound PIA flights were cancelled at Karachi airport on Wednesday according to the PIA spokesperson. Earlier, the JAC had conducted a press conference at the airport, reiterating demands of sacking MD PIA and cancellation of MoU with Turkish airlines.

Protests would continue until JAC’s demands are met, said general secretary Pakistan airline pilots association (Palpa) TM Rabbani while speaking to The Express Tribune.

“The MD is taking revenge from the PIA employees,” said Rabbani who is among the Palpa representatives facing show-cause notices from the defence ministry.

Cancellations in Quetta and Peshawar

Three scheduled flights were cancelled at Quetta International Airport including Lahore-bound PK-323, Islamabad-bound PK-329 and Karachi-bound PK 689.

“We reached airport at noon and were informed at 2.30 pm that Islamabad-bound flight was canceled,” said a passenger Zafar Mohammad while speaking to The Express Tribune.

Those who had called PIA inquiry were informed abuout the cancellations, except the Islamabad-bound flight, said a PIA official.

Meanwhile four scheduled flights were canceled at Peshawar while no reservations were made at the booking office.

The airline’s employees staged a protest outside the booking office in Saddar and no official was available on duty.

“Due to the strike, four of five scheduled flights were cancelled including three domestic and one international flight to Doha,” said leader of the Air league Sajad Khan.

Only one domestic flights to Karachi departed, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2011.