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KARACHI: The government has enforced a mandatory service law for the pilots and crew members of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), as the country tries to repatriate stranded Pakistanis amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952, has been promulgated by the Ministry of interior and will remain effective for six months. The decision to invoke the law is to guarantee uninterrupted flight operations to bring back overseas Pakistanis, a PIA statement, issued on Wednesday, said.
“No employee will be able to decline as the Act comes into effect. Refusal to do so may lead to legal action,” the statement added.
The Pakistan Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952, applies to every employee under the federal government and proposes penalties for its violators.
According to the legal provision, “Any person found guilty of an offence under this Act shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and shall also be liable to a fine.”
Experts say such laws are enforced under extraordinary circumstances to ensure that things continue to move smoothly and there is no risk of any interruption.
“The implementation of the Act will curb the right to protest by unions since no employee can deny performing an assigned duty,” Afsar Malik, an aviation expert, told Arab News. “The rights given under the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969, are suspended.”
Aviation analysts say the decision may have been taken since PIA pilots protested earlier this month for the provision of protective equipment. “PIA pilot and crew members have been protesting against the lack of safety equipment that meet international standards,” Tariq Abul Hasan, an aviation analyst, told Arab News.
When contacted, Captain Chaudhry Salman Riaz, President of the airline’s pilots' association (PALPA), said he did not comprehend why the Act was implemented when pilots were already working more than usual and they had not declined to bring back stranded Pakistanis.
“It does not make any difference to pilots. We are always on the forefront even when we are overburdened,” Riaz said, adding: “I don’t understand who this Act is going to target. However, we have raised the voice for the protection of pilots and crew members and sought protective equipment that meets international standards.”
He also called for revisiting the requirement that bounds pilots and crew members to stay at hotel for 48 hours without confirmation. “If my home is in the city where I am landing, why I am being forced to stay at a hotel,” he asked. “The authorities need to revisit this condition.”
Last week, Pakistan announced additional flights to bring back its stranded citizens in ��������Ƶ, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom, Turkey, Kenya, and other countries.
PIA has so far brought back almost 27,000 people, and there are still thousands of Pakistani nationals waiting to return to their homeland from different countries.