The Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production has recommended to the government that if Russia is reluctant to allow Pakistan its airspace for access to European countries then Russian airplanes should also be banned to use Pak airspace.
The committee with Lieutenant General Javed Ashraf Qazi in the chair was informed by officials of the Ministry of Defence that negotiation regarding use of Russian airspace for access to European countries would be held with Russian authorities in the first week of February.
Majority of the committee's members suggested that Pakistan should also ban its airspace for Russian airplanes if it (Russia) is reluctant to allow its airspace to Pakistan for accessing European countries. Regarding the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Turkish Airways, the committee summoned officials of the PIA in its next meeting for explanation on the reports pertaining to selling of its United States and European routes to Turkish Airways.
Talking to a group of journalists at his chamber, committee member and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Senator Mian Raza Rabbani also expressed serious reservations over the memorandum of understanding to be signed between PIA and Turkish Airways. Rabbani, who the other day wrote a letter to the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production to call meeting on the issue, said that all the associations, unions and other organisations representing various categories of employees in the PIA have taken strong exception to the MoU. He said that under the MoU, a large number of international routes of the national flag carrier would be operated by the Turkish Airways.
While citing media reports, he said that the PIA management has failed to satisfy the associations, unions and organisations on the viability of the memorandum. He said that the collaboration between PIA and the Turkish Airways may result in limiting and eventually eliminating the role of the national flag carrier.
He said that besides PIA management, representatives of all associations, unions and organisations representing various categories of employees in the PIA should also be invited to attend the next meeting of the committee. It is pertinent to mention here that National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence has also expressed concern over the PIA understanding with Turkish Airways for selling its routes in US and Europe during its meeting held the other day and also summoned PIA management for explanation.
The Senate panel also expressed satisfaction over the spending of defence budget for the defence needs. The Ministry of Defence told the committee that there were some technical problems in defence budget head for which the Ministry has decided to contact Ministry of Finance. About the presence of foreign troops in Quetta, the committee was informed that there were 41 US and six British troops in the provincial capital of Balochistan with the purpose of providing training to FC men.