ISLAMABAD: National Assembly's Standing Committee on Government Assurances asked the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Thursday to ensure paying compensation to the affectees of PIA plane crash tragedy took place in may this year and saw the loss of precious lives, and warned of initiating 'action' in case the national airliner failed to comply with the NA panel's instructions.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs and Chief Whip of the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in NA Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar presided over the committee meeting.

The committee took a detailed briefing on the compensation given to the victims of PIA Karachi plane crash and asked the airline to pay all the outstanding amount of compensation among the families of the deceased without delaying the matter any further. "Precious lives have been lost. We are not here to hear stories. The PIA should expedite the compensation process, the sooner the better," said the committee's chairman.

The committee expressed serious concern on the reports that some affectees of Karachi plane tragedy were not being paid compensation by the PIA. The PIA officials claimed that some affectees had not submitted the required documents. The PIA officials assured the committee that compensation would be issued to the affectees as soon as they submit the required documents. The committee asked the PIA to facilitate the affectees in fulfilling the requirements to receive compensation.

The committee also asked PIA, Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC) and Radio Pakistan to ensure payment of honoraria to their employees "otherwise action will be taken against the culprits."

The standing committee was informed that PIA, PTVC and Radio Pakistan had not paid honoraria to those employees who served in the Parliament House during the federal budget sessions 2018-19 and 2019-20. The committee showed its serious displeasure on the non-payment of the honoraria to the employees and asked the relevant authorities that honoraria be paid to all concerned employees without further delay otherwise strict action shall be taken against the concerned administrations.

Committee members including Mujahid Ali, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Shagufta Jumani, Usman Ibrahim, Syed Javed Hasnain, Muahmmad Afzal Khokhar, Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Saira Bano, Sher Akbar Khan among others as well as senior government officials attended the committee meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020