Pakistan International Airlines should resume flight operations between Peshawar and Kuala Lumpur to facilitate the Pakistanis working in Malaysia.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Government Assurances directed the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) on Wednesday to ensure resuming the flights between the two cities on a priority basis and submit its compliance report. The NA panel held its meeting with Member National Assembly, Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, in the chair at the Parliament House.
The committee was informed that several laborers belonging to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially from district Buner, were serving in Malaysia. To facilitate the Pakistanis working in Malaysia, two flights per week used to operate between Peshawar and Kuala Lumpur, however, the flights were suspended due to unknown reasons.
The representative of PIAC informed that they wanted to restore the flights but according to the travel protocol issued by the Malaysian government, no one could travel from Pakistan to Malaysia. So, it is not possible to start flight operations between Peshawar and Kuala Lumpur. However, after the change in the travel policy, the PIAC shall consider starting flight operations between the two cities.
The committee was informed that all of the provinces were paying ‘Engineering Allowance’ to the engineers serving in different provincial departments. It was told that the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) was paying the allowance to all of the engineers registered with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) at the rate of 1.5 times their initial basic pays. However, it was revealed, other Ministries/Divisions/Departments are not paying the allowance.
The representative of the Ministry of Science and Technology informed the committee that they had sent a proposal, for payment of the allowance, to the Ministry of Finance in April 2021. The case was referred to the Pay and Pension Commission. The Commission examined the matter in June 2021 and directed that the Ministry of Science and Technology should submit a comprehensive proposal on the issue. Accordingly, he added, a comprehensive proposal was submitted to the Pay and Pension Commission in June 2021.
The representative of the Pay and Pension Commission was of the view that no Chairman of the Commission was available so they were unable to finalize the case. Soon after the appointment of the Chairman of the Commission, the matter would be examined and disposed of accordingly.
The committee, after a detailed discussion, directed that the Pay and Pension Commission should decide the issue of the allowance payment as early as possible and a compliance report be furnished to the panel.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Mujahid Ali, Shagufta Jumani, Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani, Usman Ibrahim, Syed Javed Husnain, Muhammad Afzal Khokhar, Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Chaudhary Aamir Sultan Cheema, Saira Bano, Sher Akbar Khan, and Mehboob Shah. Senior civil officers from Parliamentary Affairs Division, Aviation Division, Petroleum Division, Finance Division, SNGPL, and PIA were also present.
