Daily Times

Lack of quorum on Friday led to adjournment of the National Assembly session till Monday.

As the question hour ended, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who was in the chair, gave the floor to Rahat Aman Ullah to move a calling attention. However, Syed Hussain Tariq of Pakistan People’s Party-Parliamentarians pointed out the quorum. The chair ordered counting, and the House was found not in order, resulting in adjournment of the session.

During the question hour, while defending his previous statement regarding fake licenses of pilots, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan informed the Lower House that his statement was aimed at institutional improvement, adding that it has been proved by the probe committees that 82 pilots got licences through unfair means. Responded to a question by MNA Shazia Marri, he pointed out that all such wrongdoings were committed in the tenure of the previous government.

The aviation minister claimed that after a comprehensive probe, as many as 762 employees other than the aforementioned pilots were found to have got jobs illegally as they did not fulfil the required criteria. All such employees have been suspended immediately, he added.

MNA Naz Baloch questioned that as the aviation authority has already fired a large number of pilots and employees, how the new planes, which according to the minister are being acquired, will be operated.

The minister explained that an MoU has been signed with the UK Civil Aviation authority for licensing to enhance transparency. He said eight new planes are being acquired while through the UK authority, hiring of 1,200 new pilots has been completed and 600 would be appointed soon.

Reply to another question by PPP’s Hina Rabbani Khar regarding PIA’s privatization, the minister said there is no plan at all to privatize PIA or any of its entities. Instead, he maintained, the present government is keen to make the national flag carrier self-reliant and a profitable entity, adding that efforts are underway to improve the financial health of the airline by reducing its losses through various means. He said loss making routes have been closed and flights on profitable routes have been added which has resulted in reduction of losses, adding that the government policies will lead to removal of travel restrictions on the PIA in the European countries and that the airline will regain its past glory.

The minister said that Quetta and Dera Ismail Khan airports will be upgraded and that eight new planes will be inducted in the fleet of PIA to further improve its performance.

During the question hour, former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf expressed annoyance over absence of Prime Minister Imran Khan from the house, saying that Imran Khan, ever since he held the office, is least bothered to attend any of parliamentary proceedings. He said that it’s tantamount to disrespecting the august house. “This is a non-democratic approach in a democratic set-up,” he regretted, and recalled that he would attend almost every session of the house during his tenure as prime minister. “Instead, prime minster prefers to take public calls which is a big joke with the nation,” he said.

In response, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan admitted the less presence of Imran Khan than the previous prime ministers. “Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken the initiative of live call program to directly connect with the people and listen to their problems. This step of the prime minister should be appreciated instead of criticism. He is expected to again interact with the people via telephone next week,” he said.