LAHORE: A delegation of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of PIA employees returned to Karachi ‘empty handed’ after a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here on Wednesday.

It appeared to be a ‘face-saving’ endeavour by the JAC members as CM Sharif promised nothing except that he would convey their concerns to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Interestingly, after his ‘marathon meeting’ with the five-member delegation, led by JAC chairman Capt Sohail Baloch, at the Chief Minister House, there was no word from the chief minister about withdrawal of show-cause notices issued to 135 ‘protesting leaders’, including Mr Baloch.

He also did not say anything about the privatisation of PIA, endorsing the prime minister’s stance that the government would not succumb to ‘blackmail’.

Shahbaz Sharif only promises to convey employees’ concerns to prime minister

“I will convey the point of view of the JAC to the prime minister. The committee has done well to call off the strike. Restoration of the glory of PIA should be the prime objective of all concerned and we will take decision without consideration of personal likes and dislikes,” Shahbaz Sharif said after the meeting. “It is our joint duty to work for the betterment of PIA.”

He also offered Fateha for the two PIA employees killed during a rally in Karachi on the first day of the strike.

Sohail Baloch told reporters after the meeting that the JAC would again meet the chief minister and give him more input for revival of the national flag carrier.

“We discussed all things, including revival plan, aviation policy, aircraft and different PIA departments, with the chief minister. He has assured us that he will extend full help in complete overhaul of PIA,” the JAC chief said, adding that the chief minister had also assured them that their concerns would be brought to the knowledge of the prime minister.

A source told Dawn that the chief minister had made it clear to the JAC members that they should not go on strike again against any decision of the government taken to make the airline profitable. “The chief minister also gave no assurance to the JAC regarding downsizing in PIA,” he said.

As the airline authorities issued more show-cause notices to the employees on Wednesday for allegedly having instigated their colleagues to join the strike, the JAC delegation appeared to be helpless to persuade the chief minister to intervene and withdraw the notices.

“The total number of show-cause notices rose to 135 on Wednesday,” a senior PIA official told Dawn. “We have no directive whatsoever from the government to stop action against the employees directing the strike.”

He said the JAC had been left with no option but to go for a “face-saving move” after the airline authorities managed to restore the flight operations partially during the strike.

He claimed that most of the employees were worried about their jobs after the strike prolonged. “They were worried that they might lose jobs before any government move to initiate downsizing in PIA,” the official said, adding that it was all over for the protesting employees and the JAC.

On Wednesday, PIA operated over 130 domestic and international flights.

Mohammad Asghar adds from Rawalpindi: The PIA management has reduced fares for domestic and major international flights.

A spokesman for the airline said the fares had been reduced to stabilise unrealistic hike and facilitate “our valued customers”. Umrah fares have also been cut.

“Fares on Karachi-Islamabad-Karachi and Karachi-Lahore-Karachi flights will now be starting from Rs7,500 and return tickets for Umrah from Rs54,500 for passengers from Lahore/Islamabad and Rs44,500 for passengers from Karachi,” he said. The airline planned 117 flights for Wednesday – 75 domestic and 42 international.

He said that because of adjustments being made to accommodate the maximum number of passengers in a relatively short time, some changes in timings might occur. He advised passengers to contact PIA centres (051-111-786-786 and 021-111-786-786) before coming to airports and get updates about exact timing and confirmation of flights.

EMPLOYEES RELEASED: Three protesting employees arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order were released on Wednesday.

Sohail Akhtar, Tariq Aziz Dar and Saleem Akhtar Bhatti were detained on Monday and sent to Rawalpindi’s Adiyala Jail for seven days.

They were released after a three-member delegation of the Joint Action Committee of PIA employees held a meeting with Rawalpindi’s District Coordination Officer Sajid Zafar Dall.

The JAC members requested the DCO to release their colleagues because the employees had already called off the strike.

After an hour-long meeting with the delegation, the DCO ordered the release of the three employees.

JAC member Zaigham Kiani said all PIA employees at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport had joined their duty and flight operations were going on smoothly.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2016