The trend of Pakistani flight attendants vanishing after landing in Canada and later seeking asylum has picked up recently. The latest to join the list of flight attendants vanishing in Canada is Maryam Raza.
The young air hostess with PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) left a ‘thank you’ note and was found missing from her hotel room in Toronto. Raza had landed in Toronto on a flight from Islamabad, but didn’t report to duty on her return flight to Karachi a day later, reported Dawn.
Interestingly, this is the second such disappearance in 2024. Another flight attendant Faiza Mukhtar who had flown to Canada also disappeared and did not board her flight back to Karachi in January. Furthermore, at least 7 flight attendants of the PIA are said to have disappeared after landing in Canada in 2023, the Dawn report stated.
The sudden disappearance of the flight attendants has been attributed to the Islamic Republic’s bad economy and severe job crisis. Surviving on loans from IMF, Pakistan has seen a record brain drain in 2023. Unsure about their future, skilled professionals have been vanishing from Pakistan in hordes.
Moreover, the low salaries of the crew and lingering fear of the airline’s future, are prompting the crew members to escape after landing in Canada. It isn’t unusual for citizens to look for better prospects in foreign countries. Moreover, the flight attendants at least fly out free of cost.
Worth mentioning, Pakistan is seeing record-high inflation because of a tattered economy and political instability.