ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday said PIA has lot of potential for revival which is required to be harnessed with a consistent effort.
“The government being the major stakeholder will always remain committed to achieve this objective. Every employee of PIA should join hands with the government in its policy of reviving and revamping of the airline in order to make it a more responsive and profit earning entity,” said the prime minister in a meeting with PIA’s Air League union officials at the PM House here.
The PM congratulated the Air League for taking the office of Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) and expressed the hope that the League would work to bring improvement in the Corporation.
He said that $15 million have been provided to PIA for inducting 15 aircraft in its fleet on dry lease, as equity in order to revive the Corporation. Besides, Rs. 16 billion have been given to PIA from the national exchequer as a bailout package.
“I would visit PIA headquarters in Karachi and seek a detailed presentation on improving its image and services, while reducing its losses,” he added. He said that PIA has a glorious past and the people of Pakistan expect its employees to work hard to bring it back to the same level. A monolithic workforce is required in PIA to lead the national flag carrier towards progress and development, he said.
The PM was informed that the Air League is currently the representative body of more than 8000 PIA employees. The union officials apprised the Prime Minister of various matters relating to PIA and gave suggestions for its revival.
Participants included Muhammad Shamim Akmal Khan; Nasir Mehdi Janjua; Muhammad Usman Khan; Nadeem Raza; Nadeem Shah; Muhammad Rehman Butt; Babar Sanghi; Sher Aman; Arshad Mehmood; Shahid Qureshi; Waqas Nazir; Muhammad Latif Khan; Muhammad Nadeem Qureshi; Muhammad Majid Rafique; Dr. Waqar Ali Nuasher; Mian Khuda Dino; Raja Asif Naveed Hussain; Muhammad Hafeez Khan; Farrukh Baig; Ahmed Saleem Butt; Muhammad Kamran Khan; Sadia Sumbal Butt; Malka Ahmed; Rahat Iqbal; Shabbir Ahmed Khan Tareen; Gohar Munir; Mubashir Hussain; Zaigham Sajjad Kayani; Mahmood Ali Bukhari; Mahar Kaleem Ullah; Muhammad Ayub; Jahangir Khan; Abdul Baqi Barohi; Shazia Afridi; Mussarrat Sultana; Ali ul Haq Qureshi; Muhammad Sajid Iqbal; Iftikhar Ahmed; Naseem Babar Sangi; Syeda Sarwat; Yasmeen Jabeen; Sumbal Arif and Maryam Dar.