Senate adopts resolution against shifting of PIA HQ to capital

ISLAMABAD: The opposition-moved resolution in the Senate on Monday against the ‘proposed’ shifting of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Headquarters to Islamabad from Karachi was adopted, vowing to resist it, which was termed as a political move to facilitate one-unit.Through a resolution, moved by Senator Sherry Rehman of PPP, signed by 41 senators belonging to all opposition parties in the House was adopted with majority votes. The senators contended that any such attempt would be a step towards weakening the federation and in negation of the Constitution.The debate regarding the resolution was marred by agitated remarks from both by PML-N’s Senator Mushahidullah Khan and Senator Faisal Javed of PTI. Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani had to repeatedly intervene and even expunge offensive remarks.The Minister for Aviation Division Ghulam Sarwar Khan said no decision has yet been taken, but he did say the 70 percent air traffic was from the north i.e Lahore and Peshawar and other areas, due to which the proposal to shift PIA Headquarters to capital was under consideration.“Whatever decision we will take, there will be no politics involved as it will be in the interest of the country. Transfer of 70 (PIA) officers out of total 12,000 to Islamabad from Karachi is not a big deal”, he said. Speaking on the occasion, Senator Sherry Rehman put forward three questions that she insisted, needed urgent clarity from the government, “First, if the government is not shifting PIA Headquarters to Islamabad, then why is it opposing the resolution? Second, we heard that it was decided to shift the headquarters to Islamabad because their representatives have to attend the Senate and parliamentary committee meetings. Has this not always been the case? Third, why is this entire process being kept so secretive? It is unfortunate that we are forced to ask this question,” she questioned.She said there is a general view that the government is trying to centralise every service, authority, and just about any activity or resource to Islamabad, adding legally, the government’s move goes against the PIA (Conversion) Act, 2016 (PIACC), Clause 7 (2) which clearly states that PIA’s Headquarters (as well as that of its subsidiary companies carrying on air-transport business) should be in Karachi.“The government is crippling Pakistan’s commercial hub because it lacks political control there. It is taking Karachi’s flights and re-routing them to Islamabad, it is trying to strip Karachi of its commercial base, of its roots, of its power to hold PIA in a commercial centre and you are telling us with your one-unit behaviour that is not happening,” she asserted. She continued, the government had marginalised the role of the Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA) and is trying to choke the unions by imposing the Essential Services Act. It should explain on what pretext it has decided to do so.Senator Raza Rabbani said the minister has already given justification, saying more commercial activity is being generated from the north and that is the reason for such a move. He said as many as eight officers of Pakistan Air Force belonging to Peshawar and Rawalpindi are running the PIA, adding shifting the PIA HQ from Karachi to capital is not acceptable.The “Human Resource Department of PIA was shifted to Islamabad while 85 crew members have been transferred to Islamabad overnight, who are facing issues, including that of accommodation here and the way PIA is being run, will not be allowed,” he asserted. He noted the government talked of austerity, whereas here, it has no infrastructure, unlike in Karachi to house the headquarters and the other paraphernalia. Senator Mushahidullah Khan of PML-N said the PIA HQs could not be shifted, as its engineering department is there, while the Civil Aviation Authority was also headquartered there, among other things.Contesting the opposition senators, Nauman Wazir Khattak of PTI said the HQs should be shifted after a thorough analysis, as more commercial activity from the north is just one of factors and added the issue seems more political then what the opposition claims, as political appointments have ruined the institution. Shibli Faraz said the move to shift the PIA HQs to Islamabad is aimed to do things on merit, while the lack of PPP's political control on PIA's management is the reason behind the outcry.Later, through a voice vote, the opposition’s resolution was adopted by the House despite opposition by the treasury benches, who are in minority. The House offered fateha for the departed souls, of those, who lost lives during the operation to flush out attackers at Gwadar.

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