Copyright Akram Ali
Fokkers grounded under public pressure
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: While speaking at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting on Tuesday, Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (retd) Tariq Wasim Ghazi challenged the decision of the Shaukat Aziz cabinet to ground ageing PIA Fokkers.
Without mincing his words he said that this was done under “public pressure†and not because the planes were no more useable.
The situation turned almost sour when the defence secretary and the Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Defence Major (retd) Tanveer Hussain exchanged hot words over the issue of performance of Fokkers.
PAC members aggrieved and sorry over the loss of 46 precious lives in the Multan air crash lashed out at the Defence Ministry and those in command for causing loss of human lives.
It may be recalled that in an impassioned speech on the floor of the National Assembly not long ago, Parliamentary Secretary Tanveer Hussain had warned against the serious loss of life that could be caused by these Fokkers that had completed their flying age and had stressed the need that they be grounded. He regretted that his cry proved a cry in the wilderness and 46 innocent people were burnt to death in the Multan crash.
The PAC met here with Malik Allah Yar in the chair to discuss audit reports pertaining to the Ministry of Defence. MNAs Tanveer Hussain, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Kunwar Khliad Younis, Asia Azeem, Ali Akbar Vanins, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Liaquat Baloch, Safdar Shakir, Ashiq Gopang, Rai Mansab Ali and other attended the meeting.
As the meeting started both the PAC members as well as the secretary defence had a heated debate. Gen Ghazi defended the performance of the Fokker planes and claimed that these were quite safe and operating under an international system.
When the agitating MPs asked in that case how the planes were grounded, Gen Ghazi made a categorical statement that the cabinet had taken the decision under public pressure and not because of problems with these Fokkers. He said that after the cabinet decision, PIA was not using Fokkers even for cargo service.
Pointing out that 13 accidents of Fokkers had been reported the world over so far, Maj (retd) Tanveer asked that if the Fokkers were very safe and successful, then why the manufacturers had wound up business. He reminded that even in 2002, PIA had recommended replacement of the the Fokkers. He regretted that now the defence secretary was denying his own statement. He lamented that if any heed had been paid to these warnings, these human lives might have been saved. He said radar system too had got outdated.
The defence secretary said that he stood by his earlier statement that Fokker planes were safe as in most of the cases Fokkers met accidents because of pilots’ mistakes. Maj Tanveer scoffed at the statement of Gen Ghazi, saying that in this country it was very convenient to shift all the blame to the poor pilots who were no more in the world to offer any defence.
MNA Ashiq Gopang too was very critical of use of the old and outdated Fokker planes, saying that in a Fokker one felt travelling in a tractor-trolley.
Source: The News
