PIA cuts fares as panel meets Punjab CM

With PIA flight operations picking up momentum on Wednesday following announcement by the Joint Action Committee of the protesting employees on Tuesday night to end strike, leading members of the committee on Wednesday met Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in Lahore to discuss its demands.
The airline, in the meantime, significantly cut its domestic and international fares including fare for Umrah.
Talking to newsmen in Lahore later, JAC chairman Sohail Baloch termed the meeting as "satisfactory" adding that the chief minister has promised to discuss the demands with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his return from Doha (Qatar) on Thursday.
All demands of the employees, including opposition to the proposed privatisation of the airline were discussed threadbare, Baloch added.
Meanwhile, PIA on Wednesday announced reduction in its domestic and international fares in an attempt to stabilise the recent hike in fares by private airlines during the strike.
"Airfares for Karachi-Islamabad-Karachi and Karachi-Lahore-Karachi will start from Rs7,500, while return tickets for Umrah passengers will begin at Rs54,500 for people living in Lahore and Islamabad, and Rs44,500 for all those travelling from Karachi," said a Press release.
"The national carrier has taken the decision to reduce its fares, in order to facilitate its valued customers and stabilise the unrealistic rise in airfares caused by the recent strike," the statement added.
After protests by PIA employees reached a new level, airfares went higher, partly because of greater demand and partly because of other airlines' sense of making more profits. "Private airlines increased their fares by more than 200 per cent after February 1," FPCCI Aviation Committee Chairman Yahya Polani said.
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• Pakistan