Page 45 - 15OCT2018E

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Authority of India, (AAI) for not had earned. The move could affect Technical glitches are not the
ensuring safety of air passengers and the maintenance of critical sys - only cause of concern. The human
leaving it to the court for regulating tems and risk air safety. The officers quotient is a major cause for concern America’s peace offensive
the height of construction around claim to have taken this step after in air safety violations. Overworked
the Mumbai Airport. America’s Fed- their week-long protest last month and underpaid crew, staff shortage,
eral Aviation Administration (FAA) wearing black badge against lateral inebriated or sleepy pilots, cock-
audited the Directorate General of hiring of inexperienced manag- pit brawls, et al have contributed to with strategic overtones
Civil Aviation (DGCA) in July, for the ers did not bear any result with the many ‘near miss’ situations. Accord-
third time since 2013. And the lat- management. ing to central government data, 28
est FAA audit comes soon after the The airlines in India have been pilots and 9 crew members skipped
Indian regulator underwent an audit operations on a budget crunch for the mandatory Breath Analyser (BA)
by the International Civil Aviation years now. While Kingfisher was test in 2017. Pilots at most major air- The US decision to send its high-profile mission to Pakistan to be a peace-broker between USA
Organisation (ICAO) last November. forced to shut shop years back, the lines are frustrated, overworked and within three weeks of the assumption of office by the new Prime and Talibans in Afghanistan amidst
Such audits have come in the wake finances of others have not been extremely concerned about their the reports that their talks in Europe
of inability of the government to too good, with most carriers strug- future. Their plight reflects a recur- Minister Imran Khan signifies the importance the country has could not make any headway. How-
strengthen regulatory framework gling to make profits, amidst rising ring worldwide air transport indus- in the region for the West, writes GOPAL MISRA ever, within days of the visit of the USA
and infrastructure in accordance to fuel prices and other expenses. De- try trend of tired, unhappy, often delegation, Chinese foreign minister,
the manifold increase in air passen- layed salaries have become a norm over-worked and under-valued Wang Yi, arrived in Islamabad, maybe
ger traffic. in the sector. The pilots of Air India, flight-deck members. here are no straight-lines to his new assignment is not a cakewalk. to thwart the US initiative. The implica-
According to the latest ICAO Demotivated pilot teams are be- define any diplomatic mis- It will be quite a mistake, if only mili- tions could be grave if Imran continues
audit data, India is placed below coming a general problem in the sion. That too amidst rapid tary implications are focused on this to toe the Islamic zealot’s line to severe
neighbouring Pakistan, Nepal and Demotivated pilot airline industry, as many have found political developments in visit. The US delegation was keen to relationship with USA to begin new in-
many other countries. Hence the teams are becoming their status and benefits gradually T the host country, Pakistan. rescue the new government under nings with China.
DGCA is now developing a system eroded and downgraded — turning The recent peace offensive with stra- seize of the Islamic radicals, before This visit has acquired significance
hire experts to license/oversee the a general problem in them into disposable commodities. tegic overtones, led by a high-profile work on better ties within the region as it is taking place while India and USA
controllers of AAI, which once in the airline industry, In April this year, the Delhi High US mission under the leadership of the could be attempted among the stake- have just cemented their naval ties in
place, would improve the effective Court rapped the DGCA for the rising Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, once holders. It first arrived in Islamabad to Pacific region. It is yet to be ascertained
implementation levels as required as many have found menace. It concluded that no pilot the chief of the intelligence agency, have a frank discussion on the obtain- whether this visit will attempt to nul-
by the ICAO. At present, the AAI is their status and should fly for over 125 hours, 30 days CIA, and the US Joint Chief of Staff ing situation in the region. Later, the lify the recently worked out Pakistan-
regulating as well as providing ser- in a row. The court added that “mak- Chairman, General Joseph Dunford. delegation reached New Delhi, where USA understanding to reset their ties
vices of air traffic controllers. Failure benefits gradually ing pilots overwork is dangerous for They visited Pakistan during the first its strength was further augmented by for better understanding in resolving
to adhere to the international norms eroded and the safety of the passengers”. week of September 2018, which must the presence of the US Defense Secre- disputes. It was also decided that the
of air safety can affect the number With mounting pressures on be understood for its long-term impli- tary, James Mattis, for the reaffirmation Trump administration and the new
of international flights operating out downgraded aviation infrastructure, AAI has also cations. However, its outcome appears of the understanding India has evolved Pakistani government would try to de-
of India. turned to adapting new technology. to be uncertain, if not bleak. during the past three decades. liver on each other’s expectations. It is
Adding to the woes of the aviation The DGCA also seems to be pulling The much-trumpeted Economic The US decision to send its high- real challenge for Imran to adjust his
industry, officers of Communication, while awaiting their July salaries up its socks. But every time, we can- Advisory Council (EAC) — under Prime profile mission to Pakistan within government with the changing politi-
Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) with no word on when the same not wait for the proverbial rap on the Minister Imran Khan, which had ush- three weeks of the assumption of office cal and strategic scenario in the region.
department of Airport Authority will be paid, have written a scath- head to take the necessary steps. The ered in some optimism in the nearly by the new Prime Minister Imran Khan He has blossomed as a leader under
of India (AAI) decided to surrender ing letter to the airline chairman in human life is of paramount impor- financially collapsed country — is now signifies the importance Pakistan has the Pakistani establishment i.e. armed
their proficiency on 24th Septem- August, questioning if AI “even has tance and such negligence cannot almost dead before it could be consti- in the region for the West. USA has forces to oust his rivals in the political
ber after a meeting on 28th August enough money for regular/manda- be taken lightly anymore. tuted with the exit of three prominent ensured that substantive discussion arena. It goes to the credit of USA del-
between the management and offic- tory maintenance.” There should be adequate rest economists, Asim Ijaz Khawaja, a Har- must take place Khan and his lieuten- egation that the presence of Bjawa was
ers on the intervention of Minister of A section of these pilots have and training schedule for the main- vard professor, Dr Imran Rasul of the ants, Foreign Minister, Shah Mehmood ensured during the talks.
Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu failed threatened to stop operations if their tenance as well as the flying crew. University College of London and Dr Qureshi, and army chief, General
to resolve issues plaguing the critical pending flying allowances are not The government authorities need to Atif Mian of Princeton University. Dr. Qamar Javed Bajwa, before new stra- Shadow of rhetoric
unit meant for air safety. The CNS is paid immediately. The loss-making take relevant measures to provide MIan has been told to quit because he tegic initiative is cemented with India. Most of the Indian media continues
the backbone of Air Traffic Services carrier has been facing cash paucity a strong regulatory framework and is an Ahmadi, a minority community Afghanistan, unsurprisingly, remained to harp that it is being done under the
for the safe and smooth operation since the government stopped fund- robust infrastructure, along with among Muslims were ex-communicat- high on the agenda, with the USA ask- new Asian policy of President Donald
of aircraft at the airports and in the ing the airline following its decision routine checks to ensure air safety. ed by the Islamic zealots in Pakistan. It ing Pakistan to do more. Trump, thus, losing its historical signif-
Indian airspace. to privatise it last year. However, it The passengers would have asked has led to the resignation of Khawaja It only reflected that in spite of US icance. In fact, this process had begun
Although CNS officers contin- failed to get a suitor by the required for nothing more as they gasped for and Rasul. advice, Pakistan has not ended its pol- soon after the collapse of the USSR in
ued to work at the airports across deadline, forcing it to put the privati- air on the affected Jet Airways flight. Prime Minister Imran Khan is now icy of encouraging the non-state play- 1991. The British had carved out Paki-
the country, they did so without sation plans on the backburner and facing the wrath of his detractors for ers, whether they are Talibans or other stan to serve the strategic interests of
the ratings or license which they reviving the capital infusion plan. LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM his poor Urdu and unprepared speech Islamic zealots trained in Pakistan. the West during the post-World War-
before the US delegation. For Imran, The USA is keen to persuade Pakistan II years, when the USSR army was the

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42-44 Subhangi Singh.indd 4 9/28/2018 5:34:48 PM 45-47 Pakistan Gopal.indd 1 9/28/2018 5:36:17 PM