The Supreme Court of Pakistan has given its approval to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to fill 205 vacant positions within the organization. This decision comes after the court had previously imposed a ban on fresh recruitment in the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation Limited (PIACL) on March 31.
In response to the ban, PIA had appealed to the Supreme Court for an early hearing of its plea, seeking permission to hire over 250 new employees. On Wednesday, a two-member bench headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard the petition, with the CEO of PIA appearing before the court.
During the hearing, Justice Ayesha Malik raised a crucial question, asking why PIA needed to recruit more individuals when the airline was struggling to pay its dues. Justice Ijazul Ahsan also expressed concerns about the quality of PIA’s services, stating that new recruitments would further burden the institution by an additional Rs90 million per month.
In response, the PIA CEO explained that the national airline had made a profit of Rs3 billion in the last six months. He also outlined plans to revitalize PIA and ensure its financial stability, highlighting the operation of profitable flights and the commencement of new international and national routes.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan sought clarification on the basis of these upcoming recruitments. The CEO responded, stating that the hiring process would be conducted on a one-year renewable contract basis.
After considering all arguments presented, the court directed the PIA administration to ensure transparency throughout the recruitment process. The court granted approval to fill 205 posts, including positions for pilots, cabin crew, and experts, instead of the initially requested 250 posts.
