KARACHI: The Joint action Committee (JAC) of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees announced to end the strike and asked the employees to resume flight operations across the country with immediate effect.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday evening, JAC chairman Sohail Baloch announced the decision to end the eight day long strike and requested “all the airline workers to work with full dedication and pay no heed to anyone trying to disrupt the flight operations”.
Baloch said that, “A kind friend advised us to call off the strike.” The assurance given to us by the government to resolve the issues is enough to make us call off the strike, he added.
The JAC chairman said he will meet Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif Will reach in Lahore on Tuesday (today).
“We hope that the meeting with Punjab chief minister will be satisfactory and beneficial for both for the government and the employees of PIA,” said Baloch.
When asked if the JAC has retracted from its demands, Baloch said he will “apprise media about the developments after meeting with the Punjab chief minister”.
If the PIA workers cooperate with each other, there is no reason they cannot revive the airline within a year, said Baloch. “We can revive this airline, we just need some support and guidance,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, the PIA flight operations had partially resumed on Monday and the head offices in Karachi and Islamabad were reopened. Numerous flight flew to their destinations and also arrived from different national and international locations.
However, PIA employees voiced concerns that proper safety protocol had not been followed to put the planes in the air.
PIA engineers warned the management against operating flights without ensuring the aircraft’s maintenance protocols as it may cause serious safety hazards.
