ISLAMABAD: Despite incurring Rs10.13 billion losses in just first six months of this year, the embattled Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has hired six more officials on whopping salaries amounting to Rs61.8 million per annum, the documents available with The News has revealed.
According to sources, the national flag carrier, known for having the highest number (450) of employees per aircraft, has made these appointments during last few months when the airline was running in huge financial losses. According to PIA’s Half Yearly Report 2014, the accumulated losses of PIA remained Rs207 billion while the Corporation’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by Rs174 billion. The losses for first six months of 2014, alone, remained Rs10.13 billions.
The documents revealed that PIA hired a dual national Waseem Bari Salimi (PIA No67149) as chief legal officer on monthly salary of Rs2.4 million. Sources said he is a considered close to a top official of the government. Similarly, the corporation also hired Javed Piyar Ali Agrawala (PIA No67149) as chief financial officer of strategic business units (SBUs) on a monthly salary of Rs900,000. A top official of the PIA confirmed the appointments, but the newly appointed Spokesman of PIA Rafiq Zardari said this was not in his knowledge.
A person attached to the PIA, however, told this correspondent that the national airline has been suffering losses for a long time. He said there was a need to induct competent officials to minimize this loss. He said the newly appointed officials were given the task to reduce expenditures and increase revenues so that the PIA can be turned into a profitable airline. He said as for as salaries of these officials are concerned, these are not whopping as compared to the salaries prevalent in the corporate sector. Moreover, he said these days the government departments also hire private officials on high salaries. He said the era of low salaries has come to an
end.
The documents also revealed Air Commodore Imran Akhtar (PIA No67151) was hired from Pakistan Air Force (PAF) as senior general manager on deputation on monthly salary of Rs250,000 while Group Captain Jawaid Ali Soomro (PIA No67152) was hired as General Manager procurement and logistics on monthly salary of Rs200,000. Wing Commander (r) Raheel Ahmad (PIA No67190) was also appointed as senior general manager on monthly salary of Rs700,000.
Brigadier (r) Muhammad Asid Khan was hired as senior general manager (PIA No67146) on monthly salary of Rs700,000.The Monthly impact of these hiring is Rs5.5 million with an annual impact of Rs61.8 million.
While contacted, the spokesman said he is not in a position to comment on these appointments. However, previously a spokesman of the corporation had told media that some officers of the PAF has been brought in to streamline the system in the national flag carrier and that they (PAF officials) would also train the airline’s staff so that they (PIA staffers) could take over the department later.
The Pakistan’s flag-carrier has become a white elephant for the national exchequer as according to its own financial statements, the corporation incurred a loss of Rs44,530.891 million during the 2013 alone.The experts believe besides corruption and inefficiency, the airlines is over-burdened by extremely bloated number of employees i.e. over 16,000. One of the best airlines of the world the Emirates has almost 150 employees for one aircraft while PIA has an average of over 450 employees against one aircraft.
