LAHORE - FIA immigration authorities at Lahore airport recovered another 34 Indian passengers illegally transported to a hotel by PIA staff on Wednesday night in sheer violation of Immigration Rules, said sources in FIA.
The passengers were supposed to travel to their next destinations and FIA Immigration officers detained their passports and asked them to wait in the transit lounge but some PIA staff members reportedly directed by office bearers of Air League, forced passengers to move to hotel only to earn money.
An FIA immigration officer said that PIA staff has violated immigration rules and FIA has prepared an internal report in this regard. He said there was list of ten negative countries whose passengers cannot be allowed to go out of the airport and India is at the top on that list.
Earlier on September 16, a group of passengers was sent to the Suprout Court Hotel in Lahore. As per report of Director Vigilance those passengers lodged a very serious complaint regarding the shameful behavior and environment they faced at the hotel. The passengers in their statement said they were made to sit in a small van along with their baggage just like animals and they had to load their baggage on their own. They were not even served breakfast despite repeated requests and lunch given to them was even not worth eating.
Moreover, the flight was late but passengers were dropped at the airport much earlier. They also complained against the Passenger Handling Service (PHS) staff for not providing dinner as per SOP at the airport. Negligence of the PHS further escalated the annoyance of already irritated passengers who were provided the refreshment after repeated requests.
These passengers then lodged their protest in the departure lounge. They shouted and created a scene which resulted in embarrassment for the company. The matter has been probed and it has been reported by the reliable sources that the Suprout Court Hotel is owned by PIA Management Information Service (MIS) staff Aliya Mujeeb and her husband.
The hotel is now run in partnership with CBA representative Hamid But P-57562 (Brother of CBA President – Lahore, Ahmad But), Yasir Aslam P-65355 and Haris P-65330 (Accounts Asstt.). It has been learnt that they have taken the said hotel on contract at the rate of Rs200,000 per month. Transfer Passenger’s Cell at Lahore has instructions from the CBA (all the CBA members are deputed for transit duty) that all the passengers should be sent to Sprout Court Hotel.
Taking notice of the issue, PIA chairman terminated the contract of the said hotel and CBA office-bearers were trying to get the contract restored but diraector vigilance was not in position to restore the same at his own.
Though newly inducted PIA chairman has put his full confidence in PIA employees and expressed hope that with their collective efforts and government support the airline will soon be able to perform efficiently. But the way the leaders of employees were performing and watching their own interests at Lahore airport one can imagine well that how would they serve PIA.