The federal government on Monday issued show-cause notices to more than seventy employees of Pakistan International Airline Corporation (PIAC), including pilots, engineers and senior officials, who were engaged in ''illegal'' protest against the planned privatisation of PIA. The PIA management has started issuing show-cause notices to the protesting employees under the Pakistan Essential Services (Maintenance) Act (PESMA) 1952.
According to sources, the federal government on February 4, 2016 constituted a four-member committee comprising retired Captain Ahmad Latif PSP, senior joint secretary (I) Aviation division, Rashid Ahmad, Director (HR & A& Coord), Musa Khan, Deputy General Manager (HR) and Mubarak Hayat, Deputy General Manager (HR) to lodge complaints against the employees of PIA accused of committing offences under the Act. Now, the management of national flag carrier has issued at least 78 show cause notices to the employees. Not only are they accused of violating the PESMA, they are also held responsible for forcing others not to join official duty during sit-ins.
Moreover, sources said that nine notices were issued to employees at Peshawar while rest of the others notices were sent to the employees serving in Karachi and Lahore. They said that through these notices, which were dispatched through courier services, the management had given a 72-hour deadline to the employees to give plausible reasons in resonse to a question why they should not be dealt with in accordance with the PESMA.
Replying to a question, sources said that the committee after evaluating the replies of the employees against the notices would recommend the action against them to the PIA management.
Sources further said that these show causes notices had been issued to the pilots, engineers, instructors, senior staff, etc and added that management had not only banned the entry of 3500 temporary employees but the passes of over 2000 daily wagers, serving only in Karachi had also been suspended. The government barred members of PIA from participating in any union activity by dissolving all PIA unions through the Essential Services Act, giving them the ultimatum to call off their strike or they would lose jobs and could also be arrested.
PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani said those who will break the law will not be spared; action will be taken according to the law. He said government has initiated taking action against the employees who were preventing other employees from doing their work while violating the Essential Services Act. He said the employees who are performing their duties are receiving threats as well, for which the government has taken the responsibility of providing them security.
PIA spokesperson, when asked for the flight status, said that about 18 flights were operated yesterday to Dubai, Jeddah, Gilgit. PIA resumed its flight operations from Karachi and Lahore airports as well. The PIA employees began on February 2. The protest in Rawalpindi erupted again on Monday, the situation almost escalated when police officials came face to face with protesting PIA employees. PIA employees alleged that police had arrested as many as 13 employees of the national flag carrier who were protesting against PIA''s privatisation.
The strike has left thousands of passengers stranded and delayed over a hundred flights. Passengers are facing problems with respect to their flight schedules and readjustments. However, the strike has also caused increase in the airfares of domestic flights. Meanwhile those employees who went missing during the protest in Karachi were dropped off at a housing society near Nagan Chowrangi. The employees were picked up from their residence by unknown men four days back. Police said they are investigating the possible kidnappers. Subsequently, Senator Saeed Ghani in his tweet said, "after announcement of rally, release of four abducted PIA workers confirmed Federal Government was involved in their abduction. This is state terrorism".
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