Islamabad: The Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of the Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) at a meeting. The Committee emphasized that such practices should not recur. This was highlighted during discussions on a Question of Privilege raised by Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA, regarding the cancellation of his return ticket from Najaf (Iraq) to Karachi by PIA officials on August 8, 2024. The fourth meeting of the Standing Committee was convened at 2:00 p.m. in the Parliament House, Islamabad, chaired by Mr. Muhammad Afzal, MNA.

According to National Assembly of Pakistan, Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, MNA, expressed that the PIA officials’ conduct not only caused him moral stress but also resulted in financial loss. He urged the PIACL management to hold accountable those responsible for the oversight to prevent future occurrences. The Committee, noting the absence of the PIACL CEO, insisted on the CEO’s presence at the next meeting to provide a briefing on the issue.

Regarding the Code Sharing agreements with other airlines and the non-revalidation of Electronic Miscellaneous Documents (EMDs) by PIACL, Committee members pointed out significant challenges faced by Parliamentarians. The Chief Commercial Officer of PIACL, present at the meeting, informed the Committee of agreements with Turkish and Ethiopian Airlines for Code Sharing and assured resolution of EMD revalidation by the month’s end. The Committee urged the CCO to expedite efforts to resolve the EMD issue promptly.

Committee members also highlighted issues faced by the public due to the unprofessional attitude of officials from SEPCO, HESCO, LESCO, SNGPL, and SSGCL, suggesting that management from these departments be summoned to address these concerns in the next meeting.

In the presentation of the Sub-Committee report, Honorable Convener Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, MNA, informed the Committee that while meetings were held to consider amendments, recommendations could not be finalized. He requested the reconstitution of the Sub-Committee to complete the remaining work, a proposal which the Committee accepted. The Sub-Committee, with the same composition and terms of reference, is tasked with reviewing amendments proposed by Dr. Nafisa Shah, MNA, and Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA, and submitting its report within thirty days.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Mir Khan Muhammad Jamali, Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Mr. Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar, Pir Syed Fazal Ali Shah Jillani, Mr. Zulfiqar Sattar Bachani, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur, Mr. Ramesh Lal, Khawaja Izhar ul Hassan, Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar, Mr. Abdul Qadir Patel, Ms. Shagufta Jumani, and senior officers from the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Aviation, PIACL, and PARCO.