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Business Recorder
11 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
PIA resumes Lahore-Paris flights after 5 years
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed on Wednesday direct flights from Lahore to Paris after a gap of five years. The airline had announced resumption of of Lahore-Paris flights last month. The first weekly flight from Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport to Paris departed at 12 noon. A total of 276 passengers boarded the flight PK-733. The PIA is already operating two weekly flights from Islamabad to Paris. For this flight, a Boeing 777 aircraft was operated, which had recently undergone an interior refurbishment to enhance passenger comfort, according to the PIA. To mark the resumption of PIA's Paris-bound flights, a ceremony was held at Allama Iqbal International Airport, during which a cake was also cut. Passengers were seen off by PIA Chief Executive Officer Air Vice Marshal Aamir Hayat, Chief Operating Officer Khurram Mushtaq, Head of Mission at the French Embassy Franck Aubrée, and other senior aviation officials. According to the PIA, resumption of the route after five years is expected to provide travel convenience to passengers while it will also boost foreign exchange earnings. The development comes after the PIA restarted flight operations between Islamabad and Paris in January this year, following the European Union's removal of restrictions on the carrier. In November 2024, the European Commission and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) lifted the suspension on the PIA, which had taken place back in 2020 after a PIA plane crash in Karachi in 2020 killed nearly 100, followed by a scandal over pilot licenses.
Express Tribune
17-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Three PIA executives sentenced to jail for defying court orders
Listen to article Pakistan's National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) has sentenced three senior officials of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to six months in prison for contempt of court after repeatedly defying judicial orders, according to an official ruling issued Thursday. The commission also imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on each official. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional one-month imprisonment. In a detailed verdict, NIRC member Abdul Ghani Mengal found Deputy CEO Khurram Mushtaq, Chief Human Resources Officer Athar Hussain, and PIA Balochistan General Manager Sadiq Muhammad Lodhi guilty of contempt. The court declared the three ineligible for future employment or representation in any public, semi-government, or government institution. The commission further ordered an immediate suspension of the officials' salaries and financial privileges. The ruling stems from a petition filed by 17 PIA employees based in Balochistan, seeking permanent employment status under Section 25 of the Balochistan Industrial Relations Act of 2010. The workers — employed as janitors and cleaners, argued they had served the airline for periods ranging from two to twenty years without being regularised. Their plea was initially dismissed by the labour court but later upheld by the Balochistan Labour Appellate Tribunal in a March 24, 2012 ruling that ordered their regularisation. PIA challenged the decision in the Balochistan High Court and subsequently in the Supreme Court, but both appeals were dismissed. Despite clear directions from superior courts, PIA failed to implement the ruling. The commission noted that more than seven years had passed without compliance and that the airline not only ignored the decision but also failed to respond to contempt notices. The court observed that while some employees were eventually regularised, the process disregarded judicial instructions and omitted the payment of retrospective financial benefits. "This contempt action is not motivated by personal vendetta but is essential to uphold public trust and the dignity of the judiciary," the ruling stated. The court directed relevant police stations, the Inspector Generals of Police in Balochistan and Islamabad, and jail authorities to immediately act on the arrest and incarceration of the convicted officials. It also issued a notice to the Ministry of Defence to ensure compliance with the court's orders. In response, PIA officials announced plans to challenge the ruling at an appropriate forum, stating that the verdict would be contested in light of the ongoing privatisation process and related administrative challenges.
