PIA flights grounded on third day, protesters stand ground
All counters of the national airlines were shut at the Jinnah airport on Wednesday
KARACHI (Dunya News) – Strike against privatization is continuing on the third day today as dozens of flights have been cancelled, Dunya News reported Thursday.
Rangers and police have been deployed at Allama Iqbal International Airport and Jinnah International Airport to deter the protesters.
Water cannons have been provided to the law enforcers at the airports.
On February 3, employees gathered outside Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) head office and staged a sit-in. Almost all PIA offices across the country were shut while flight operations suspended.
All counters of the national airlines were shut at the Jinnah airport.
Also read: CCP takes notice of escalating air fares of private airlines
Protesters rallied in the federal capital while boycotted work places. In Lahore, workers of the PIA staged a sit-in outside Egerton Road office. No aircraft could take off from Multan airport while booking offices were shut as well.
In Peshawar, employees protested against government’s decision to privatize the national company and raised slogans.
Other cities that saw halt to PIA’s booking and different services were Quetta, Dera Ghazi Khan, Larkana, Bahawalpur among others.
On February 2, Pakistan Airline Pilots Association (Palpa) announced to join PIA employees’ strike and ground flights. The handshake between the two unions severed the situation as flight operations in the entire country were frozen.
Know more: PIA s JAC announces permanent shutdown of operations
The announcement came after two PIA workers were gunned down on February 1 as they rallied towards Jinnah terminal from Karachi head office in bid to pressure government into reverting its decision.
Also read: PIA strike: Export orders likely to be cancelled, traders to lose crores
A large number of protesters had moved towards Jinnah terminal after staging a sit-in outside the head office. However, Rangers and Sindh Police personnel attempted to counter them meanwhile, gun fires left two killed.
Rangers and Sindh Police both denied the accusation and stated that personnel did not open fire. The gun shots came from the protesters, the spokespersons for law enforcement agencies stated.
Rangers Director General (DG) has formed a high-level committee to probe the firing incident. While, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) denounced government’s alleged torture on the protesters.
Know more: DG Rangers forms investigative committee to probe into Karachi firing incident
Opposition Leader in the National Assembly (NA) Syed Khursheed Shah criticized Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif for allegedly sitting idle through the incident.
The debt-stricken national airlines is moving further in the quagmire as Rs 11 crore loss is being bore every day. The government, owing to the protests had postponed PIA’s privatization by six months.
The company is supposed to be privatized in 2016 as per government s decison and the blue print provided to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
