Navy gets control of Karachi Shipyard
ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: The ministry of defence has decided to hand over the control of Karachi Shipyard to Pakistan Navy to steer it out of financial crisis and directed the Pakistan International Airlines to revive flight operation from Turbat and Gwadar to the United Arab Emirates.
This was disclosed by Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Tanveer Hussain Syed while speaking at a news conference here on Wednesday. The parliamentary secretary said that he had presided over a meeting with the officials of the Karachi Shipyard on behalf of Senior Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal on Wednesday morning and discussed the strategy for making the shipyard a profitable organization.
He said that even salaries had not been paid to the employees of the shipyard for the past four months. He hoped that the financial position of the shipyard would be improved after its handing over to the Pakistan Navy.
The secretary said the finance ministry had been requested to release a grant of Rs400 million for the workers' salaries. However, he said, it was not a permanent solution to the problem and there was a need to take steps so that it could be able to generate revenue.
For this purpose, he said, it had been decided that the outstanding dues of the shipyard would be recovered from various organizations, particularly the government departments. Other local organizations engaged in ship-building and other related fields would be directed to place their orders to the Karachi Shipyard, instead of foreign companies, he added.
The parliamentary secretary said the defence ministry had also directed the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to start its service from Gwadar and Turbat to Muscat and the UAE.
He said Fokker aircraft would be used on the new routes and the decision had been taken in the light of a proposal of Opposition Senator Ismail Buledi. The secretary said that the PIA would acquire new aircraft to replace the Fokker aircraft within three to four months.
He said the flights would resume soon after completion of formalities between the governments of Pakistan and the UAE and some minor technical changes in the Fokker aircraft.
He said the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had been directed to take steps for the up gradation of airports in Gwadar, Pasni, Panjgur and Turbat. The government had decided that the expenditure on up gradation of airports would be met from the allocations made in the current budget and no fresh funds would be released.
The parliamentary secretary also disclosed that the PIA management had been directed to change its rules and discontinue the past practice of non-refund of lost tickets to the passengers.
http://www.dawn.com/2004/09/09/top10.htm
ISLAMABAD, Sept 8: The ministry of defence has decided to hand over the control of Karachi Shipyard to Pakistan Navy to steer it out of financial crisis and directed the Pakistan International Airlines to revive flight operation from Turbat and Gwadar to the United Arab Emirates.
This was disclosed by Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Tanveer Hussain Syed while speaking at a news conference here on Wednesday. The parliamentary secretary said that he had presided over a meeting with the officials of the Karachi Shipyard on behalf of Senior Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal on Wednesday morning and discussed the strategy for making the shipyard a profitable organization.
He said that even salaries had not been paid to the employees of the shipyard for the past four months. He hoped that the financial position of the shipyard would be improved after its handing over to the Pakistan Navy.
The secretary said the finance ministry had been requested to release a grant of Rs400 million for the workers' salaries. However, he said, it was not a permanent solution to the problem and there was a need to take steps so that it could be able to generate revenue.
For this purpose, he said, it had been decided that the outstanding dues of the shipyard would be recovered from various organizations, particularly the government departments. Other local organizations engaged in ship-building and other related fields would be directed to place their orders to the Karachi Shipyard, instead of foreign companies, he added.
The parliamentary secretary said the defence ministry had also directed the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to start its service from Gwadar and Turbat to Muscat and the UAE.
He said Fokker aircraft would be used on the new routes and the decision had been taken in the light of a proposal of Opposition Senator Ismail Buledi. The secretary said that the PIA would acquire new aircraft to replace the Fokker aircraft within three to four months.
He said the flights would resume soon after completion of formalities between the governments of Pakistan and the UAE and some minor technical changes in the Fokker aircraft.
He said the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had been directed to take steps for the up gradation of airports in Gwadar, Pasni, Panjgur and Turbat. The government had decided that the expenditure on up gradation of airports would be met from the allocations made in the current budget and no fresh funds would be released.
The parliamentary secretary also disclosed that the PIA management had been directed to change its rules and discontinue the past practice of non-refund of lost tickets to the passengers.
http://www.dawn.com/2004/09/09/top10.htm