KARACHI: To anutter surprise to the people of Pakistan, particularly the travel and tourism industry of Pakistan, the two-member bench of the honorable Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday, December 31 issued a directive to stop the PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik from performing his functions. The court also stopped the airline from transferring, hiring or firing employees and from buying or selling assets.
In a press release Travel Agent Association of Pakistan (TAAP) has shown their concern and reservation and believes that the directive will affect the Travel trade sector as without a Head of management in a big organization like a National Flag Carrier (PIA) will harm their businesses.
TAAP has requested the honorable Sindh High Court to review its directive.
TAAP believes that after a long time Govt. of Pakistan placed a highly professional Officer Air Marshal Arshad Mahmood Malik to run the affairs of the money starved, National Flag Carrier. He has vast experience in Aviation Industry and management who devoted 40 years of his life to this field.
Some irrelevant people having vested interest wish to create unrest to hamper the pace of progress and shake the confidence of people and staff.
The staffs under investigation of fake degrees case are behind such acts to sabotage valid decorum of management.
His performance as Head of PIA can be measured as under:
• TAAP is of view that replies/comments which Federal Government is going to submit in the honorable court may include the reservations of TAAP.
• PIA after over three decades seems to be reborn and progressing towards a prosperous path under the management of Air Marshal Arshad Mahmood Malik.
• That National Carrier needs a strong, passionate and committed leader. CEO is an honest and capable person who can attain the lost status of PIA by putting PIA in the right track.
• Under his management, PIA is significantly improving its performance efficiently.
• He is striving for positive changes and proved himself pulling up the PIA business.
• Operational losses dropped by 50% to 1.5 Billion as against 3 Billion previously, helping increase in revenues.
• Increased operational Fleet from 23 to 29 out of 31 available fleets.
• The level of services improving significantly and passengers feel secure.
• Build effective partnerships with prominent organizations to create value for passengers.
• Trying to overcome challenges like overstaffing and excessive liabilities.
• Cargo operations improved to 80% of available capacity as against 20% previously.
• Hajj Operations 2019 was carried out solely by PIA first time which was completed successfully without leasing any aircraft.
• Direct flights from Sialkot to London and from Karachi to Canada.
• Sukkur and Quetta stations became operative.
All the above can only be achieved by a highly professional head of the organization.
• TAAP understands affairs of PIA running smoothly under the present management of CEO, Air Marshal Arshad Mahmood Malik, H.I., S.I., (M)
• TAAP believes that under the dynamic leadership and sincere efforts of PIA-CEO Air Marshal Arshad Mahmood Malik PIA will succeed and restoring its lost status.
