I was travelling from Islamabad to Karachi on Flight PK 301 on Sep 21, at 10:00 am. My boarding card read seat 1-D on PIA plane with Mr. S. A. Ali as Chief Purser on the flight. I saw a cluster of security being provided with additional protocol to the ‘First Lady’, the wife of our newly elected President Mr. Mamnoon Hussain. I was ordered to vacate the seat and relocate to seat no 4, to allow the first lady and her security to occupy the front seats.
Had the Protocol officer requested me I would not have minded allowing a lady to sit with her protocol, but the attitude was dictatorial ordering me to forcefully vacate the seat. I refused to quit my assigned seat. Then came the boss speaking loudly and ordered me to change my seat, I refused. I was then threatened by them. At this point I lost my cool and threatened to exit the aircraft and call a press conference to inform the nation about the kind of behavior our leaders demonstrated. Listening to my threat they backed off.
They finally were able to get the front seats, what a lottery for Mr. Mamnoon Hussain! An ordinary shopkeeper of Allahwalla Market who is devoid of any political constituency, has been able to acquire the highest post in the country, that of a President! What amazed me is that PIA management has no sense of decency, all over the world the ‘revenue passengers’ are given preference over these free loaders who waste the public money on free flights.
I wonder how PIA can become a profitable organization with these ‘Lords and Ladies’ traveling at public expense, while damaging national assets. Who is to blame, if national assets are handled this way, and they incur losses, someone needs to be held responsible for the failures. If we are going to be selling every organization that has failed due to our own negligence then why don’t we sell all of Pakistan as it is a complete failure?
PROFESSOR DR. GHOLAM MUJTABA,
 September 28.