Two of my nieces arrived by separate PIA flights from Jeddah and Manchester at Lahore. Both received their accompanied booked baggage with locks broken and missing items. These locks must have been broken by the PIA staff deputed to offload the baggage from aircraft for transportation to arrival lounge, where they are put on conveyor belts for collection by passengers. Just a few months back, media reported that 46 revenue passengers with confirmed seats and valid work visas travelling on PIA flight from Lahore to Kuala Lumpur were refused Boarding Cards by PIA staff, because they refused to give them money which was demanded from these passengers.
As usual PIA management ordered an inquiry, but nobody was punished, because all of them were members of union affiliated with ruling party. Similar reports of irregularities have been reported at PIA Booking in Lahore, but no disciplinary action has ever been taken against those responsible. On December 14, media again reported that PIA flight to New York from Lahore was delayed for over two hours, just because the pilot did not get his gourmet sandwich
Over the last ten years, indiscipline in PIA has risen and trickled down from top to bottom. The fish they say rots from the head down, and PIA is the best example of this rot, where indiscipline and financial irregularities in top heavy management have paralyzed this airline. Today they hardly have enough aircrafts, but surplus employees of all cadre, sufficient for a fleet of over 100 aircraft.
SHAHZAD KHALIL,
Sialkot, December 15.