MULTAN, Feb 2nd: Workers of PIA at the call of joint action committee today staged a demonstration in city terminal Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahimyarkhan and Dera Ghazi Khan. When they listened the news that Police and rangers have opened fires at the protesting workers and killed two employees.They went infuriated and some of them removed the portraits of Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif from Multan International Airport and city booking office. They also tore his portraits. The demo was led by Air league's President Mehr Kaleem Klasra, General Secretary Mehr Qadar Bakhsh,People's Unity of PIA 's President Asad Mehmood Bukhari, Bilal Lashari and they shouted slogans against the Government, privatisation of National Flag carriers and in favour of their demands. They vowed to continue their protest inspite of imposition of essential Services Act (ESA ) In a bid to disperse protesting Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees at Jinnah Terminal, security personnel resorted to baton-charging and using rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas shells on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called for implementation of the Essential Services Act.
Two protester died after sustaining bullet wounds. Rangers and police deny "handling protesters violently" and firing at the site of the clash.Pakistan Airlines Cabin Crew Association President and JAC spokesman Nasrullah Khan earlier told that the strike would proceed as the government had not accepted the body's four-point agenda.A heavy contingent of Rangers and police personnel were deployed at the site to prevent protesters from entering the cargo gate and moving onto Jinnah Avenue, South Punjab News reported.
Television footage showed security personnel fire tear gas shells and water cannons at protesters as they attempted to force their way into the cargo gate.
An injured protester Inayat Raza, who sustained a bullet wound in his chest during the protest, succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital. Raza was a member of PIA's engineering department.
Another injured person, Saleem, who also sustained bullet wounds died at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Complex (JPMC), spokesman Dr Seemi Jamali confirmed. She said at least ten injured people were admitted to JPMC, two of whom were critical.
Deputy Inspector General East Kamran Fazal said bullet casings were collected to ascertain who opened fire on the protesters. He claimed the bullets were not fired by policemen. "We instructed our personnel not to handle the protesters violently. We are trying to find out who initiated the clash," he said.
"No Rangers personnel has fired to control the protest at Jinnah Terminal today," Rangers Public Relations Officer said in an official statement.
At least three other people, including a DawnNews cameraman, were injured during the protest, as security officials also dispersed journalists and media personnel covering the incident, DawnNews reported.
PIA JAC's four-point agenda:
- Government should immediately take back the bill passed on January 21 converting the national flag carrier into a public limited company.
- PIA's employees be provided a chance to reform the airline. If the employees fail to do so, the government will have the freedom to do whatever it finds suitable.
- Privatisation, in any form, whether it is in form of a strategic partner or selling of 36 per cent or 1pc of the organisation's shares, is not acceptable to the employees.
- Government should immediately review the aviation policy and form a committee for this purpose comprising members from PIA employees' JAC along with PIA experts Khursheed Anwar, Kamran Hasan and Salahuddin.
PIA spokesperson Daniyal Gilani told DawnNews that PIA management had asked protesting employees to come to the negotiating table but the union did not pay heed. He said the government was taking action in accordance with the law to deal with the situation, and that flight operations had not been affected.
Protests by PIA employees also erupted in Multan and Peshawar in solidarity with the treatment meted out to their colleagues in Karachi.
Flight operations 'continue as scheduled'
Civil Aviation officials confirmed that flight operations are continuing "as scheduled", but passengers are advised to call the airport ahead of time and confirm the status of their flights.
The JAC of PIA employees on Monday said they would go on strike starting 7am on Tuesday but flight data at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport (JIA), Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) and Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIA) shows all PIA flights from 7am-9am have departed, and that only two flights ─ PK-313 (Lahore to Karachi) and PK-314 (Karachi to Lahore) ─ were cancelled. A total of 10 PIA flights departed on time from all three airports between 7am-9am.Flight operations at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport (JIA), Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) and Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIA) are running and are expected to continue as scheduled, Civil Aviation officials said.
"All the flights this morning left on time," a JIA official said.
An official at BBIA said flight operations were continuing as scheduled and would not be affected even later in the day. Television footage showed a heavy contingent of police deployed at BBIA for added security.An official at AlIA said check-in was open for flights and "all flights so far had run on time".
Captain Sohail Baloch, convener of the PIA employees committee, had earlier told reporters that a four-point agenda had been presented to the government by the body. Failure on part of the government to fulfill these demands, he said, would result in suspension of flight operations.
Nawaz calls for implementation of Essential Services Act
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a high-level meeting on Tuesday instructed implementation of the Essential Services Act.
National institutions will not be used for political motives, he said, adding that steps are being taken to turn the national flag carrier into a profitable organisation.
He advised the interior ministry to deal with major strikes regarding the issue and said PIA operations must not come to a halt.
Federal Information Minister Pervez Rashid, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Aviation Shujaat Azim attended the meeting.
Nawaz invokes Essential Services Act
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday enforced the Essential Services (Maintenance) Act 1952 for six months, barring protesting members of the Pakistan International Airlines from participating in any union activity.
The law essentially restricts union activity in state-administered sectors, including railways, postal services, telephone and affiliated services, and airports and seaports.
Earlier on Friday, PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan had announced that the government had postponed the privatisation of the national flag carrier for six months and requested the protesting workers to end their strike.
Mushahidullah had asked the joint action committee of PIA employees to withdraw its decision of the strike and resume flight operations, otherwise the government would use its authority and impose the Essential Services Act, if PIA employees did not call off their strike.
The Act was also invoked by the government in January 2013 during the doctors' strike for better wages and regularisation, resulting in the sacking of young doctors for participating in a strike.
'Enemies of PIA and Pakistan'
Speaking to reporters after the enforcement of the Act, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Monday said those continuing the strike would be treated as enemies of PIA and Pakistan and they will end up losing their jobs.”
Rashid said the government had made alternate arrangements of pilots and engineering staff to ensure that operations continue smoothly. He said PM Nawaz had made clear that no PIA employee would be laid off during privatisation and reiterated that the government would not tolerate strikes.
During a pilots' strike last year PIA Chairman Nasser Jaffer had formulated a ‘plan B’ to run the flight operations without interruption under which new pilots were to be inducted on contract basis while Pakistan Navy’s aviators were to be called in for assistance.
Privatisation of PIA
The National Assembly on January 21 witnessed the passage of six bills, including one to convert the national flag carrier into a public limited company.
Under the bill, Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) is to be converted into a public limited company as Pakistan International Airlines Company Limited (PIACL).
PIACL will get all the assets, liabilities, duties and obligations of PIAC. Similarly, PIACL would be entitled to the benefit of all notifications, licences, permissions, sanctions, authorisations, concessions, decrees, international air service authorisations, agreements, orders and benefits issued or granted in favour of PIAC.
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