lahore - PIA staffer embezzled Excess Baggage Ticket (EBT) and received Rs 12000 illegally from Oslo bound passenger at Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIAP) on Monday, said sources in the airlines here.
An officer of PIA seeking anonymity said that on the day of incident a passenger, Khalid Mehmood was travelling for Oslo from AIIAP by PIA flight Pk-751. On PIA counter he got his excess baggage booked and paid Rs 32000 to cashier, Javed Iqbal and received EBT No-2144511083170. When the passenger reached in waiting lounge and found that his EBT was issued of worth Rs. 20000. The passenger made hue and cry in the waiting lounge and protested on the forgery of the cashier. Deputy Station Manager (DSM), PIA, Zahid Shareef, cashier Massod-ul-Hassan and vigilance supervisor Zafar rushed to the spot and listened the passenger. After coming to know the whole story all three officials asked Javed iqbal to return the ill gotten amount Rs. 12000 to passenger and asked him to keep mum. The issue was hushed up.
It is worth mentioning here that couple of months back PIA senior officer Ijaz Mazhar had transferred certain officers from passengers facilitation service department who were serving on PIA counters and involved in embezzlement of EBT. Very next month EBT revenue was boosted from Rs 4 million to Rs. 12 million. But unfortunately that senior officer was asked by management to cancel the transfer orders of those officers. He refused to take his decision of transfers back and ultimately he himself was transferred from his office.
After his transfer such incidents of embezzlement have started surfacing again. When this scribe contacted deputy station manager, Zahid Shareef he said, “I was informed about this incident and I rushed to waiting lounge and asked that passenger about happening but passenger denied of any such happening”.
He said that PIA was active to trace such corrupt officers and get rid of them if some would be involved in such corrupt practice and charges would be proved, strict action would be taken against him.