PIA's clarification

There is with reference to the letters to the Editor of your newspaper of July 17, 2006, entitled, "Fokker plane accident" and "stock market crash", to the effect that PIA was so heartless that it did not even care for the family of the deceased, much less call on them or visit them. The following facts, however, are completely the opposite.
The Chairman and CEO PIA, was the first to arrive in Multan from Islamabad, in the afternoon of the very same day, in a special Air Force plane and after visiting the site of the crash, rushed to the Nishtar Medical College Anatomy Department and Hospital in Multan and offered condolences to the families assembled there.
Later, he went to the mortuary and offered Fateha for every victim of the tragedy. The Chairman and CEO, PIA, also visited the residence of the families of the PIA employees in Lahore, who were very appreciative of PIA's role in handling the emergency.
The Senior Vice President, Coordination, who is also the Head of the Emergency Response Planning Division, flew to Multan, taking the first available flight within hours of the accident.
He personally visited the homes of the 13 bereaved families residing in Multan affected by the tragic accident, and offered Fateha. The Senior Vice President Flight Safety, Health Safety, and Environment was also in Multan from Karachi and visited the families and attended the burials.
The Manager Emergency Response Planning, ERP, PIA, visited the home and attended the burial in Karachi of the victim belonging to Karachi. The District Manager, Lahore, the highest ranking officer of the station, visited the families and attended the burial of all the three victims belonging to Lahore.
The District Manager, Bahawalpur met the bereaved family and attended the funeral of all the victims belonging to Bahawalpur. The District Manager D.G. Khan, met the bereaved family of the victim belonging there and offered Fateha.
Besides the above, PIA flew 2 extra flights from Lahore and one from Karachi and offered free boarding and lodging to the next of kin of the bereaved families, including free transportation of the bodies to their respective burial places.
In addition to all of the above, PIA volunteered to fly in the next of kin and relations of the victims living abroad, and as such, PIA flew in people from Jeddah, London, New York, and Canada, and any requests from other countries coming in, were being considered for acceptance.