PIA: What
Needs to Be Done
By Abubakr G. Shaikh
Westerville, Ohio
The present situation of PIA,
howsoever sad, was destined to be what it is today.
The airline’s destiny had been sealed for
decades. Once known to be one of the best in the
world, PIA’s performance had nose-dived
owing to apathetic insensitivity, continued bureaucratic
indulgence, and imposition of dual or rather triple
administrative controls by politically vested
interests at the cost of vital commercial interests.
PIA became a carrot for political bribe and with
time came to signify a culture of VIP entertainment.
We all know the story of the steep decline of
our beloved airline. The dedicated hard work and
the sacrifices put in by the early entrants, who
worked 14 to 15 hours at a stretch without claiming
a penny of overtime in the formative years, the
dedication of the staff under trying conditions
eventually paid off and PIA deservedly won the
title of "The Great People to Fly with."
Alas! The sacrifices and hard work of the PIA
staff were ruthlessly nullified by the corrupt
and incompetent management that only cared for
perks and hardly acted as a conscientious, devoted
lot.
Let us recall the 1970 /71 era when the country
suffered a great setback after the turmoil of
East Pakistan. The airline’s existence was
in jeopardy and we all expected a trimming in
its operation and staff retrenchment. However,
a sagacious decision of Bhutto to appoint a shrewd
businessman instead of following the traditions
of making bureaucratic appointments not only saved
the airline’s future but our jobs as well
Rafiq Sehgal took up the reigns of PIA at a very
precarious moment in the country's history and
instead of curtailing the routes, expanded the
airline’s operations to reach out to new
destinations with increased frequency. The PIA
fleet was raised to new levels. He visited PIA
stations and addressed the staff infusing confidence,
hope and high spirits, and promising that during
his tenure, not a single staff member will be
sent home .He created new jobs and positions in
the service and sales sectors. The only thing
he asked in return was dedication and a ‘service
above all’ attitude. I still remember the
brief speech he delivered to the staff at the
jetty of an aircraft while leaving London after
successfully obtaining loans for leasing new aircraft.
He ensured the airline’s financial stability
but the rot set in soon after his exit from the
scene.
The only possible remedy for the critical situation
today is for the government to sell off its part
of the shares to the public and let the private
sector deal with the reconstitution of the entire
setup in line with the dictates of commercial
interests, though I am not sure at what cost!
Any other remedial alternatives by the government
to revive it, in which the bureaucratic interests
and their control over the airline are kept alive,
will simply be catastrophic and PIA will sink
sooner than expected. Surprisingly, the prime
minister with his expertise in the corporate sector
has long failed to rescue the national airline
during his sufficiently long tenure in office
and he continues to grievously hurt national interests.
