PIA air hostesses allege harrasment

KARACHI: Air hostesses of Pakistan's national airline have filed sexual harassment complaints against a senior Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) male staff member. Responding to the allegations, PIA spokesperson Mashood Tajwar told Dawn that the air hostesses alleging harassment were "venting grievances" after having been declared "unfit" by a suitability committee. It was however not clear whether the air hostesses were declared 'unfit' before or after they alleged harassment. Tajwar said that a suitability committee of PIA conducts grooming and fitness tests every six months to ascertain performance suitability of the cabin crew. He added that two air hostesses had filed written complaints with PIA's Committee for Protection of Women at Workplace, only after they were declared unfit by the committee and had no issues prior to the tests. The spokesperson said that the complaints were disregarded after a probe was conducted into the allegations.