Pakistan's state airline suspends flights

Baku. 3 February. REPORT.AZ/ Flights on Pakistan’s state-owned airline have been suspended after two staff were killed during a protest against plans to privatise the ailing carrier.

Report informs referring to the BBC, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) began shutting down services on Tuesday in solidarity with the victims after a violent confrontation between striking employees and law enforcers near the company’s headquarters in Karachi.

Officials said eight other people were wounded in a standoff with members of the security forces, who deployed water cannon and teargas to block workers from marching to the main entrance to Karachi airport.

Suhail Baluch, the chairman of PIA’s joint action committee, an alliance of unions, said: “They didn’t tell us they would be using force. Firing straight at unarmed people is unacceptable.”

The police and the Rangers, a paramilitary organisation with a lead role in securing the city, denied that any of their officers opened fire and announced an investigation.