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PALPA withdraws from PIA strike

KARACHI: The Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (Palpa) announced its withdrawal from the strike against government’s proposed plan to privatise the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday, with the organisation head directing pilots to resume their duties.

PALPA chief Amir Hashmi also directed the pilots to return to their work, saying the PIA workers have recorded their protest and also observed three-day mourning over killings of the employees.

Hashmi said they were a part of the protest from the beginning but never supported the idea of a complete strike “which can have serious consequences on an airline which is already sinking”.

“Pilots are part of a professional body, we are not a political party,” he said, adding that the PIA strike had turned into a political arena.

He said that the passengers are facing immense problems due to suspension of flights operations.

Hashmi said that the PALPA stood by the staffers of PIA. He, however, warned the joint action committee of parting ways with them if they would not end strike.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Zubair, chairman of privatization commission, expressed hope that the people would hear a good news after holding of successful talks between the government and the joint action committee.

M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.