T HIS refers to your editorial `Striking PIA` (Feb 3). The PML-N government has a knack for mishandling even trivial issues.

The PIA privatisation plan has been grossly mismanaged from day one with lack of transparency and verylittle sharingof information. The death of two PIA employees, besides injuries to several others, during the protest demonstration on Feb 2 near Karachi airport from use of firearms is inexcusable. Baton charge and water cannon were freely used on the peaceful protesters who did no damage to any property or installation.

Unfortunately, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif does not believe in dialogue and debate and has an authoritarian mindset.

He abhors dissent and wants to impose his will through use of force. His close advisers refrain from speaking their minds and toe Mr Sharif`s approach to be in his good book.

A judicial commission should be formed to inquire into the whole gamut of how the airline turned into a huge loss-making entity when it was earning profits during retired general Pervez Musharraf`s era despite the then higher international oil prices. Responsibility should be fixed on those who have destroyed the national airline through political inductions, corruption and favouritism.

The same holds true for Pakistan Steel which was earning huge profits during Musharraf`s time and became financially strong enough to volunteer premature return of the loans it had earlier taken.

Huma Arif Karachi (2) THERE are reports that the government has decided to create a new airline within 120 days in view of the suspension of PIA operations.

When the PPP government tried to privatise PIA, the key personalities of the present government Ishaq Dar, Chaudhry Nisar and Abid Sher Ali attended the protest by the People`s Unity, former Collective Bargaining Agent of the airline, and they have now become staunch supporters of PIA`s privatisation.

PIA is now suffering from a fiscal crisis.

Responsibility for this goes to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and federal minister Shahid Khagan Abbasi who laid the foundation of the crisis in 1998 when they removed PIA employees who had attained the age of 57 or above, and their full salaries for the remaining period were paid.

However, after a few days, they also introduced a voluntary golden handshake scheme. Thus about 7,500 employees were removed from PIA service, the majority having a long, valuable experience.Consequently, junior employees replaced them and within a short time reached higher posts. Lacking experience, they laid down the basis for PIA`s decline.

The PML-N government doesn`t have a good record of privatisation in a transparent manner. Therefore, PIA employees` apprehensions seem justified to a great extent. Now it has been wrongly derided to create a new airline within 120 days. This would not be a workable formula.

I sugest the prime minister give up the idea of creating a new airline and enter into meaningful talks with the Joint Action Committee of PIA employees.

Mohammad Khan Sial Karachi (3) THIS is apropos Khurram Hussain`s article `What alls PIA?` (Feb 4).

In my opinion, the organisation still has a capacity to revive and become a competent airliner like it used to be in the 1960s. The varieties of crises, hot and cold air, fair and rough winds, prolonged crests and deep troughs the organisation has experienced would save the airline from sinking, if we find somebody sincere within the organisation.

I agree with the writer that we often divert from the root cause while addressing the actual issue. We can find genuine and energetic persons from within the organisation who have faced all the hardships and know the ins and outs of all problems to rescue the situation.

It is often said: `Tough time never lasts, but tough people do`. Soul-searching of such people is required at this moment.

Rather than appointing some ex-boss from PAF as an ad hoc solution, who may put the airline on a ventilator and fool the nation as if the airline has recovered, we must search somebody from within PIA with a capacity and vision to bring the organisation back on track.

Cdre (r) Abid Ihsan Islamabad