This letter is apropos of reports about the audit of PIA pilots and withdrawal of tax waivers. It is time PIA was restored as a service oriented industry, instead of being hostage to its mediocre employees. In Europe, America and rest of developed world, the highest paid professionals are Doctors, Engineers, Scientists, Lawyers, University Professors, and Journalists, none of these highly qualified professionals working in Pakistan get a salary comparable or half to what their peers receive in developed world. The pilots of PIA get a salary equal to airline pilots working in Europe etc, if you take the cost of living into account and their income tax deduction. Many years ago, airline pilots got tax free flying allowance following precedent of ‘Paris Artists Convention’, which gave this exemption based on their limited earning period. This facility is no longer given by any airline in Europe, America or in any other developing countries in Asia. The rationale for tax free pilot salaries disappeared when waivers were given for serious medical ailments like heart patients, other ailments or physical disabilities etc and is today totally unjustified now, that unlike other skilled aviation workers, they are being rehired after age 60, while rest of ground staff stands retired. Till 1996, the flying allowance component was tax free and thereafter a nominal 2.5 percent tax was levied. This facility was abused when over the years, restrictions by FBR that all allowances should not exceed 35 percent of total salary, was violated by making Flying Allowance and other such benefits forming almost more than 75 percent of gross salary. Even State Bank of Pakistan regulations are being violated by paying allowances, other than Foreign DA in hard foreign currency, such as LR Allowance. An audit must be carried out for the requirements based on effective utilisation of all cadres working in PIA, now that the schedules are based on a fleet of 16 serviceable aircraft, while the employees per aircraft strength which is highest in the world is based on a fleet of 38 aircrafts. PIA is no longer the sole airline based in Pakistan, with the eruption of other private airlines flying on domestic and international routes the government must no longer submit to blackmail of its unions.ABRAR KHOSA, Faisalabad, June 24.