RAWALPINDI: Another member of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cabin crew has reportedly gone missing while on duty, after landing in Canada.

Maryam Raza arrived in Toronto on PIA flight PK-782 from Islamabad on Monday, but failed to report for duty on the return flight, PK-784 to Karachi.

When the authorities opened her hotel room, they found her uniform with a note reading ‘Thank you, PIA’.

Ms Raza joined the national flag carrier 15 years ago and was assigned to the flight from Islamabad to Toronto.

This is the second such case this year of a PIA stewardess “vanishing” after landing in Canada, according to the airline’s spokesman.

Officials say this trend is due to the flexible Canadian law, which offers asylum after entering the country.

Last month, a similar incident was reported when an air hostess failed to report for the return flight after arriving in Canada.

Last year, at least seven PIA cabin crew members went missing in Canada while performing flight duties.

According to the national carrier’s spokesman, one of the crew members who had slipped away while on duty some years ago has now settled in Canada and “advises” other crew members mulling asylum.

He added that the PIA management has been coordinating with Canadian authorities to stop such incidents in future.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2024

Opinion

Editorial

Seeking investment
Updated 01 Nov, 2024

Seeking investment

Foreign visits will be fruitless unless crucial structural, policy reforms directly affecting investors are focused.
State-backed terror
01 Nov, 2024

State-backed terror

OVER the past year or so, India’s reportedly malign activities in foreign countries have increasingly come under the radar, with
Shared crisis
01 Nov, 2024

Shared crisis

WITH Lahore experiencing unprecedented levels of smog, the Punjab government has announced a series of “green...
Property valuation
Updated 31 Oct, 2024

Property valuation

Market valuation rates will not help boost tax revenues without plugging such loopholes in the system.
Hitting a wall
31 Oct, 2024

Hitting a wall

PAKISTAN still has a long way to go in defeating polio. Despite our decades-long fight against the debilitating...
Kurram violence
31 Oct, 2024

Kurram violence

DESPITE years of intermittent and bloody conflict in Kurram, the state has been unable to bring lasting peace to ...