Steward
In the latest incident adding to Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) woes, another flight steward, Jibran Baloch, reportedly went missing in Toronto on Thursday. The disappearance, confirmed by a PIA spokesperson, occurred when Baloch, assigned to flight PK-782, failed to report for duty.
Efforts to locate Baloch at his hotel room proved futile, prompting PIA staff to initiate a search. Despite the airline’s reported confiscation of staff passports, Baloch managed to be absent. This marks the second instance of a PIA employee “slipping away” from duty in Canada this month.
The PIA spokesperson disclosed that Toronto police and the border security force have been notified about the incident, indicating the airline’s commitment to cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
This incident compounds a series of challenges faced by PIA, with at least 12 employees reported missing while on duty abroad this year. The circumstances surrounding these disappearances have raised concerns and drawn attention to the airline’s internal security measures.
The airline’s decision to confiscate passports, presumably as a security measure, has proven insufficient in preventing such incidents. The recurring nature of these disappearances highlights a critical need for PIA to review and enhance its protocols to ensure the safety and accountability of its staff during international operations.
As the investigation unfolds, questions arise about the efficacy of the airline’s security measures and the circumstances that may contribute to the repeated incidents of employees going missing while on duty abroad.
The PIA will likely face increased scrutiny as it addresses the challenges posed by these unexplained disappearances.
