Retired employees of Airport Hotel - a subsidiary of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) - have been left in limbo for over two years, awaiting their rightful dues.

Among them, one retiree has tragically passed away while awaiting payment, leaving behind a significant sum in unsettled gratuity and provident fund.

The plight of these former employees, who served in various capacities at the Airport Hotel during 2022 and 2023, highlights a distressing situation of financial insecurity.

With more than Rs2.5 million in gratuity and an additional six-two lakhs in provident fund yet to be disbursed, the delay in payments has cast a shadow over the livelihoods of those who dedicated years of service to the organisation.

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that partial payments have been made to some employees, albeit sporadically and seemingly on an ad-hoc basis. However, concerns have been raised regarding the transparency of the process, particularly regarding the management of funds within the provident fund trust.

Efforts to address the outstanding dues are reportedly underway, with the processing for payment of 2,230 dues currently in progress. However, the final resolution remains contingent upon the completion of an audit of the hotel's accounts.

When contacted for clarification, Asim, the General Manager of the hotel, affirmed that the gratuities and provident funds for the years 2021 and 2022 have indeed been disbursed.

He assured that any outstanding payments would be promptly processed in accordance with the established procedures. This statement comes amidst concerns raised by employees regarding the timely distribution of these benefits, alleviating apprehensions and reaffirming the hotel's commitment to fulfilling its obligations to its staff.