According to details, the four missing employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were found in different areas of the city including Nagan Chowrangi, where they had been left by unidentified persons. Joint Action Committee leader and People’s Unity (PU) President Hidayatullah Khan, PU Vice President Zameer Chandio, Saifullah and Mansoor Dhalwan were the ones who had been missing since Wednesday.
The PIA Joint Action Committee had given a 36-hour deadline for the recovery of their missing colleagues. On 2nd February, four PIA employees who had been present at the airport protest, went missing.
The released persons said government was nervous and they were responsible for all difficulties being faced by passengers.
The Joint Action Committee had issued a warning that if the missing employees were not found, they would carry out a protest march from PIA’s head office at the Old Terminal to Jinnah Terminal.
Hidayatullah said they were unaware as to who had taken them and where they had been kept throughout. He did however reveal that they had been detained for a period of six days.
“We didn’t know where they were taking us at night,” he said, as their eyes had been covered throughout. “They left us in various parts of the city… We don’t know what agency they are from,” he said. Sources also claimed that the men were questioned and interrogated but had not been subjected to torture.
The incident comes in the backdrop of the PIA protest strike, which has caused losses worth billions of rupees to the national treasury. Employees of the national flag carrier have taken to the streets and protested against the privatisation of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
However, it seems that the deadlock between the government and the protesting employees would soon end, since PIA’s spokesperson Daniyal Gillani tweeted that operations had partially resumed.
Despite #PIAStrike 16 flights successfully operated in 24 hrs frm Isb, Lhe & Gilgit airports. Flight ops resuming. @pid_gov @PTVNewsOfficial
— Danyal Gilani (@Danyal_Gilani) February 8, 2016
