KARACHI:Former Chairman of the Senate and central leader of Pakistan People’s Party Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, labour leader Karamat Ali along with other members of the trade union movement have challenged and rejected the composition of the Inquiry Commission constituted by the Federal Government with reference to the PIA air crash at Karachi.
In a joint statement issued here on Tuesday, Senator Rabbani and others including Karamat Ali, Secretary of National Labour Council and Executive Director of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), Nasir Mansoor, Secretary-General, National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Habibuddin Junaidi, President, Peoples Labour Bureau Sindh; Liaquat Sahi, Democratic Workers Union State Bank of Pakistan; Ms Zehra Khan, Home-based Women Workers Federation; Ms. Farhat Parveen, NOW Communities and others also demanded that representatives of the PIA trade unions may also be heard during the inquiry.
They pointed out that the history of air crash Inquiry Commissions in Pakistan is quite sordid. Reports have been doctored, tampered and even not released. The reason being to protect the vested interest in terms of the management.
The Inquiry Commission constituted by the Federal Government is soaked in conflict of interest, in as much as:
a) It is an inquiry by ones own peers i.e. Air Force officers.
b) The inquiring officers are juniors in rank to the Officer who’s Organization is being investigated.
c) The Commission comprises of only Air Force Officers, no person conversant with commercial flying and procedures has been included.
d) The Commission is devoid of any rated pilot or one having flown the Airbus.
e) The Civil Aviation and air traffic control will be under scrutiny while the CAA is represented in the Commission.
The air crash can be viewed in isolation but a holistic view of the management, procedures, job security and the relationship between the management and the unions/associations will need to be taken to ascertain whether the employees of PIAC were functioning under duress and strain.
Since the injection of a serving officer as the CEO of PIAC, there has been a total clamp down in the airline. The final nail in the coffin was imposition of the Essential Services Act, as a consequence all trade unions and association were banned and all agreements between the management and all categories of employees were made void, plunging the employees into uncertainty about job security and career planning, the statement asserted.
The decision to impose essential service law on PIAC and banning trade unions was ultra-constitutional act and tantamount to violate fundamental rights granted by the Constitution and committed under the UN declarations.
While the top management enjoys the perks, the cabin crew and other staff are denied of their allowances. They urged the federal government to reconstitute the Commission in the light of the above objections and add representatives of Pilots’ association PALPA in the Commission. They also demanded to restore all trade union activities in the airline by lifting the Essential Services Act from the organization.
Power supply to all KWSB pumping station normal: KE
KARACHI:K-Electric prioritizes power supply to all Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) strategic locations including the pumping stations at Hub, Dhabeji, Pipri and Gharo.
According to a KE spokesperson, the power supply to the Dhabeji pumping station was swiftly restored and KE teams remained in close coordination with the water board authorities. In the better interest of the people of Karachi, all KWSB water pumping stations are exempted from load-shed.
In addition to ensuring seamless power supply to all strategic installations of KWSB, KE also extends all possible technical support and maintains close coordination with KWSB teams round the clock. K-Electric has also invested significantly to provide primary as well as backup feeder facility available for Dhabeji pumping station.
Heavy inferno guts seven houses near Kandhkot
KANDHKOT:A heavy fire gutted seven houses near Kandhkot on Tuesday, leaving inmates to pass life under an open sky.
A heavy fire erupted in village Agan Khan Golato near Kandhkot which engulfed seven houses in a very short span of time. The fire gutted all material kept in the houses. Those whose houses were burnt included Khair Mohammad, Safaruddin, Ghulam Mohammad, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Morr, and Shah Mohammad.
The villagers complained that fire brigade staff did not reach the village to extinguish the fire despite information. They appealed to the Sindh government and local authorities to provide rehabilitation aid as they were now passing life under the open sky.
JI demands transparent inquiry
Karachi:We are celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr with heavy heart due to big loss of life because of covid-19 pandemic and PIA plane air crash in Karachi, said Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi amir, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman.
Addressing to an Eid Milan party at Idara Noor-e-Haq, he said the PIA plane incident has raised questions on performance and management of this institution. He appreciated JI and Alkhidmat volunteers for their untiring relief work during lockdown.
Woman injured in firing of muggers
Karachi:A woman was injured in firing of muggers in Shahra-e-Faisal area of the megacity on Tuesday.
Police sources said the muggers tried to snatch cash from the lady outside an ATM of a bank and on her resistance opened firing and fled. The injured woman was rushed to a nearby hospital.
Three of a family infected by coronavirus near Umerkot
UMERKOT:Three members of a family were tested positive for coronavirus in village New Chhor near Umerkot on Tuesday.
A few days ago, Irfan Gul, an employee of a private bank, was tested positive for coronavirus at his home in New Chhor after which he was quarantined at his home. Later, samples of 15 members of his family were taken for the coronavirus test by the health department Umerkot.
In view of the report, three out of 15 people were tested positive for coronavirus, after which there was an atmosphere of fear and panic among the people of the area.
Irfan Gul’s uncle Muhammad Juman, a woman and his cousin Mazhar Ali have been diagnosed as coronavirus patients. On the instructions of DHO Umerkot Dr Alhadad Rathore, teams have been dispatched to the affected area. After new cases, the locals have confined themselves to their homes due to fear of virus spread.
On the other hand, District Health Officer Dr. Alhaddad Rathore told the people of the area to stay homes and adopt precautionary measures to avert virus. In Kunri Tehsil, the health department Umerkot district has also reported the coronavirus test result of 14 shopkeepers in which all tests came negative.
One dead, four injured in Nushki mishap
Dalbandin:One person died while four others sustained injuries after a speeding pickup vehicle overturned on Forest RCD Road Nushki on Tuesday.
Dead body and injured persons were shifted to District Headquarter Hospital Nushki where the deceased was identified as Naimat ullaha S/O Dad Karim resident of Padak area Nushki while the injured included Khalil Ahmed, Sanaullaha, Najam ud Din and Noor Shah.
Three dead as train hits car near Pattoki
Pattoki:At least three persons died and a woman sustained injuries when a train hit a car near here on Tuesday.
As per details, a car was crossing an open rail crossing when Karachi bound Khyber Mail hit it. As a result, two men died on the spot and two women sustained injuries who were rushed to THQ hospital where one of the injured died. The victims belonged to a same family.
Train mishaps are common in Pakistan due to huge corruption, nepotism and poor management in Pakistan railways.
Tangwani police’s clerk killed, three injured as car overturns
TANGWANI:A clerk of Tangwani police was killed and three other people were injured in a road accident in Dera Allahyar on Tuesday.
A car was on its way when it overturned in Dera Allahyar. As a result, the clerk of Tangwani police was killed and three other people were injured. The body and injured were shifted to a local hospital for medico-legal formalities and treatment, respectively.
Airbus company visits PIA plane crash site in Karachi
KARACHI:A technical expert team of the Airbus company on Tuesday inspected the PIA plane crash site in Karachi with modern equipment to find clue to the reason behind the plane crash.
The team from the French city of Toulouse also visited the Karachi airport runway. The team was accompanied by top PIA officials. The company is conducting an investigation into the plane crash reportedly due to an engine failure.
A Pakistan International Airlines flight PK-8303 crashed in Karachi on Friday. The plane that crashed has been manufactured by the Airbus company. The local authorities said 97 people were killed in the plane crash.
According to Sindh health department report, 66 bodies were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) while 31 others were brought to Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK).
Maracuriously, two people, including Bank of Punjab CEO Zaffar Masood survived. They were shifted to local hospitals in an injured condition. A spokesman for Pakistan’s aviation authority confirmed that the plane crashed when it was about to land.
Public park closed in Dasht
Quetta:On the directions of Mehboob Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner Mastung, levies force under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner Dasht Sana Majabeen and Naib Tehsildar Dasht Mir Naeem Shahwani closed a park in Dasht area of district Mastung for general public.
The step was taken in connection with checking coronavirus.
Six more cases of Covid-19 in Dalbandin
Quetta:Six more cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Hindu Muhalla of Dalbandin on Tuesday.
It may be noted that samples of nineteen persons of Hindu Muhalla Dalbandin were taken for conducting test of Covid-19. Report showed that six persons were confirmed Covid-19 positive, ten negative while result of three persons is awaited.
Medical Superintendent Civil Hospital Dalbandin said six persons from Hindu Muhalla were confirmed infected with Covid-19.
Sports: Cricket: Fitter Sarfaraz to be a part of the squad for England tour: Misbah
Karachi:Pakistan chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq is apparently impressed by fitness of former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed and has said that the wicket-keeper batsman will be a part of upcoming tour of England.
Misbah has praised Sarfaraz Ahmed for gaining fitness and has confirmed that the player will be accompanying the team in the upcoming tour of England.
Although Sarfaraz struggled with the form but the team was performing well under him in the shortest format of the game as it was the number 1 side in T20Is when Sarfaraz was captain.
The move to sack him from all formats irked many of Sarfaraz’s fans including Quetta Gladiators’ owner Nadeem Omar who opined that Sarfaraz shouldn’t be removed from T20Is at least as the side was No 1 in the format. Pakistan has now slipped to fourth position in T20Is.
However, Misbah said that Sarfaraz needed to gather himself as he was gradually crumbling under pressure while his performance was also on a downhill path so he needed rest and regain fitness and form. But since now he has worked hard on his fitness he has been selected and would be a part of the next assignment of the green-shirts.
Demo held against issuance of domiciles to outsiders
LARKANA:The activists of Aam Insan Party held a protest demonstration and observed a token hunger strike at Jinnah Bagh on Tuesday against the issuance of Sindh domicile certificates to people of other provinces.
The protesters, holding placards in their hands termed this practice as illegal and injustice with the people of Sindh. They said that due to this practice, unemployment had increased to an alarming level in Sindh.
AI party’s Chairman Anwar Ali Domki, Sarfraz Buledi of Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Jeay Sindh Student Federation’s Ameer Hamza Buledi, Zeeshan Mustafa Jiskani, Nizamuddin Kharal, Ghulam Qadir Jatoi and others also participated in the protest and hunger strike.
They demanded that deputy commissioners of other provinces posted in Sindh’s various districts should be removed from their posts without further loss of time as, according to them, they were involved in such massive malpractice which had rendered well educated young men jobless in their own province which was the murder of basic rights.
They further said that such robberies on the rights of Sindhi people would never be tolerated. They demanded of the rulers to immediately cancel all domiciles issued to residents of other provinces, or else, they warned, they would launch a huge struggle across Sindh against such highhandedness which had ruined the future of locals.