[javed]

I have passed matric examination with mathematics at the time when there were no calculators or no “Naqal”. Hence I have a bit justified delusion that I know a little erythematic. Despite that I am confused and unable to solve a small erythematic mystery but a very logical one. My confusion is very old and keeps surfing periodically. It re-pinched my mind reading the news that PIA has as usual once again shown huge pre-tax losses. Though to some extent I do understand but not fully. PIA last year officially admitted that every successive government treated it as an employment exchange and at that time (early 2007) it had 330 plus extra staff per aircraft. It is well known fact that excess of staff not merely affects the organization financially but more badly its professional organizational functioning. From events so far it appears the present government too is taking PIA in the same way. 400 contract employees, appearing to be appointed by previous government, have now been regularized. It means 10-14 extra people per aircraft now. The tendency for some three decades had been that new incoming government sent home the people appointed by previous government on the plea that they were politically appointed and this new coming government would now appoint purely on merit. The next government did the same. By regularizing these 400 thus it appears a door has been crafted to facilitate now keep brining new appointments. After all certain quarters are to be satisfied this way or that way. Of course it is the duty of every good government to provide jobs to unemployed but by “creating new” jobs and not keep inducting when organizations are already overstaffed.


Gulf Air has daily flight between Karachi and Bahrain leaving with fully capacity. Getting a confirmed seat is not that easy. On the other hand our national airline has only half weekly shuttle flight. Do not be surprised over word half flight. It is a fact. One weekly flight touches and cover two different countries with fifty fifty capacity for both countries. Even that fifty is not fully occupied except on holiday seasons. My confusion is it when so much passenger traffic is available on this sector as to how then we can not fetch this? Taking into an established fact that the Pakistanis particularly when working abroad prefer PIA, can it be taken that on this sector for any “specific” reason Pakistanis do not want to travel PIA. I addressed this confusion several times to MD PIA never ever to get any response.