PIA clarification

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has strongly condemned few facts quoted in a news item published in newspapers of 14th July 2010. According to the report in a seminar organised by Pakistan Airlines Pilots Association (PALPA) the speaker has been misinformed about PIA. Captain Carlos Limon, President of International Federation of Airline Pilots Association, while addressing the seminar pointed out few facts that needed proper study of facts.
In the report it has been published that PIA pilots often complain that their take-home pay is less than their counterparts in the Middle East and that they are forced to take long flights without proper rest, is a misconception. In fact, PIA has signed a working agreement with PALPA, a body of pilots working in PIA, after intensive discussions sign this agreement as recently as 17th November 2009. This working agreement has been signed with the proper consultation of PALPA in which salaries of PIA pilots have been raised to the satisfaction of Pilots Association. As far as proper rest prior to the flights is concern, PIA provides its pilots and the crew more rest than it has been practised by other airlines.
According to Air Navigation Rules prescribed by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the rest is of twice the duration of the flight time of previous flight and not less than twelve hours. However, it is pertinent to mention here that PIA provides rest to its pilots and crew in excess of this minimum stipulated adequate rest. Moreover, CAA allows this rest to be reduced to twelve hours on international flights and ten hours on domestic flights in case of any disruption of the flights schedule. But PIA provides twelve hours of rest to its pilots and crew in both domestic and international flights even in case of disruption in schedule.
Another CAA rule allows the crew to operate flight with single set of flight crew up to flight time of nine hours and flight duty time of twelve hours, but PIA in this respect does not schedule its crew for more than eight and half hours of flight time and ten hours of flight duty time.
It was mentioned in the report, according to Captain Carlos Limon, "Airlines disallow fuel without realising that it is the pilot who knows how much could be needed in any bad situation", but in fact PIA has a liberal fuel policy additionally, pilots of the airline are authorised to uplift extra fuel as and when required, if in their professional opinion there is need for it.-PR