PPP fears another conspiracy on PIA as CM Punjab heads negotiation team

KARACHI, February 10: It is a good for the country that the employees of PIA have wrapped up their protest and ended their strike.
However, there is something fishy in erecting Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif to engage with the Joint Action Committee (JAC) as head of negotiation team of the federal government and it is now smelling bad with another conspiracy under the carpet.
Since PIA is a federal entity so Punjab CM could not be allowed to lead the negotiation team on behalf of the federal government as the dispute of striking employees on privatisation was with the federal government. If there is no wrong in prevailing strategy of the federal government to engage the striking employees’ representatives in dialogue with the CM then any CM from any other province whether Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa, Balouchistan or Sindh could also be given that special privilege.
Pakistan People’s party MNAs Sardar Kamal Khan Chang, Faqeer Sher Muhammad Balalani and Asghar Ali Shah expressed these views in a statement issued form the PPP media Cell sindh, Wednesday.
They said it is also astonishing to learn that the JAC has asked the federal government to give them one year so that they could ensure complete revival of the national flag carrier airliner, PIA. They urged upon the federal government to make the things transparent clear and bring the mater in the national assembly and the senate of Pakistan.
They said the PPP is of the view that the national institutions like PIA could not be placed under conditions and it is the sole responsibility of the incumbent government in the centre to keep the institution working and prospering.
They demanded the federal government to immediately announce withdrawal of the Presidential ordinance on PIA’s privatisation. -NNI