Pakistan’s System is at the heart of its Political Corruption

By Atif Salahuddin

Despite fierce anti-American sentiment throughout the country, especially after the US Salala attack in November 2011 which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, Pakistan’s civil and military rulers have once again decided to ignore public opinion and move ahead to safeguard US interests by re-opening NATO’s indispensible supply lines. Such has the abysmal capitulation of Pakistan’s rulers been that they even ignored their own parliament’s resolution which called for a number of conditions including an end to the drone strikes inside Pakistan. The naked brazenness of the US was demonstrated with triple drone strikes that killed over 20 people within days of resumption and reaffirmed the lop sided master to slave relationship.

All of this follows on from the latest political high drama to unfold in Islamabad that has been the judicial decision of Pakistan’s Supreme Court to disqualify Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani from holding office. That followed just days after the Chief Justice’s son Dr. Arsalan Iftikhar was implicated along with Bahria Town property magnate Malik Riaz in allegations of bribery. Whether the dismissal of Gillani and the indictment of the Chief Justice’s son are related is open to question; did the military quietly back the judiciary in its ‘coup’ is also debatable. However what is not beyond a shadow of a doubt is that the dismissal of Gillani has no meaningful impact given that just months remained in his five year term and that the ruling PPP has just elected the notorious Raja Pervez Ashraf as his replacement better known as ‘Raja rental’.

Therefore welcome as Gillani’s dismissal may be given that the man himself was symbolic of a thoroughly corrupt and incompetent administration his departure by itself will not resolve Pakistan’s continuing crisis. Whatever the truth of these latest Malik Riaz allegations they represent the latest soap opera in Pakistani politics after the ‘Memogate’ affair which eventually whimpered out along with Gillani’s dismissal with the real issues being kicked into the long grass. The increasing US drone strikes in recent days, the sustained political attempts to resume NATO’s supply lines, the Pakistan military’s continuing operations in the tribal areas, the crisis facing Pakistan’s economy together with the severe unprecedented electricity load shedding taking place in the searing summer heat have all been relegated from the political agenda, at least officially.

Pakistanis have long grown accustomed to such deceitful and pretentious behaviour from their rulers over many years which has lead to such an erosion of trust that many now rightfully question the legitimacy of a political system that can continue to connive to produce such an ugly state of affairs. As people start to protest violently to vent their frustration with the crisis gripping the country the truth is that Pakistan’s political class are not only wholly indifferent to the immense suffering borne by the people, they are actually inflicting such miseries with their poor governance and corrupt rule as they serve the US agenda in the region.

Removal of one man as the PM by the judiciary amounts to little more than changing the window dressing. The decision to re-open the NATO supply lines despite overwhelming public opposition is a case in point that changing the face of the ruler does nothing to alter such treacherous policies and that the present political system does nothing to represent the real views of the people either. Those who believe that the judiciary is a panacea to Pakistan’s crisis fail to appreciate that the role of the judiciary is at best to judge by the laws created by the legislative system, not to replace the rulers.

Hence suo moto case after suo moto case by the judiciary has made very little difference to the lives of ordinary Pakistanis. Indeed one needs to ask why the Supreme Court has not initiated a suo moto case over the US drone strikes given the ample evidence of complicity by Pakistan’s rulers. This is seconded by the deliberate failure of the military chiefs such as General Kayani to defend the country and its people from external attack; all of this amounts to a clear violation of the constitution of Pakistan and the oaths that these rulers have sworn to uphold. It is manifest that such judicial activism is selectively applied to what is politically acceptable to the Pakistani establishment.

Such political manoeuvring illustrates the incestuous relationship between Pakistan’s politicians, generals, judges, journalists, bureaucrats and business tycoons that rely and feed off each other in order to serve their interests exclusively. This has been consistently demonstrated no matter what form of ruling has been applied in the country, whether it has been a military dictatorship or democratic rule. Undeniably either form of ruling is used until it loses all credibility in the eyes of the people and then it is replaced by its other half to give the system a new lease of life.

This has been the case since Ayub Khan’s dictatorship in the 1960s which was followed by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s democratic government in the 70s. Then came Zia-ul-Haq’s dictatorship for much of the 80s and then democracy’s re-run under Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in the 90s. After that of course came Pervez Musharraf’s dictatorship which lasted until 2008 and now we have the current democratic order; how long this current democratic period will last is anybody’s guess. Moreover even during military dictatorships Pakistan’s Generals have been adept at sharing power with the politicians who are not averse to turning down such offers despite their claims as being champions for democratic rule. Zulfiqar Bhutto’s stint in Ayub Khan’s dictatorship, the partyless Junejo government with Nawaz Sharif starting his political career under Zia and the Q league/MQM government under Musharraf adequately demonstrate this.

The truth is that both democracy and military rule in Pakistan are two faces of the same hideous corrupt system that has been in place since 1947. This system has loyally served the elites whilst impoverishing the many; this is a system which is deaf to all pleas of help from its people. A political system which wantonly ignores the needs of its people but can continue to implement the US ‘War on Terror’ by killing its own people in extrajudicial killings and maintain the rulers lavish lifestyle is neither representative nor legitimate.

It is also evident that both forms of ruling are secular in origin, with no Islamic ruling system in place. An Islamic system would mean the application of the Shariah in its totality with its ahkam and rules implemented for the state such as eradicating usury in the economy and dealing sternly with aggressors such as America instead of allying with them as its foreign policy. Despite this Pakistan’s rulers deliberately attempt to implicitly blame Islam through their mouthpieces in the media for the multiple crises facing Pakistan even though secular rule has been the order of the day. The blame for Pakistan’s disastrous governance for the last 64 years rightly deserves to be placed at the feet of this discredited secular political system, not with Islam.

Such apologists in the wake of the Arab spring are now attempting to deflect democracy’s failure; they claim that Pakistanis still have the right to vote, there is a vibrant media and though progress maybe painfully slow democracy is still the only way forward.  These ridiculous arguments do not even stand superficial scrutiny. Pakistan’s media is the very same media which fails to report from the tribal areas or identify any casualties from US drone strikes. Life for the average Pakistani has not improved one iota but has become a living nightmare since democracy’s latest incarnation in 2008. Power blackouts for nearly most of the day, the inevitable water shortages as a result, gas and fuel shortages, rising unemployment, surging inflation and living costs, deteriorating law and order with increased political violence in Karachi and increasing American attacks are just some of the most visible consequences of democracy’s failure to deliver. This does not even begin to address some of the more longer term issues fundamental to Pakistan such as education, healthcare, industrialisation and agricultural land reforms.

Pakistan is not improving and as the crisis gripping Greece shows that even after 2400 years the birth place of democracy is not necessarily faring any better with its political experiment. Pakistan does not deserve to be subjected to this democratic ordeal and neither do the people have the time to wait. The truth is that such lame excuses are the arguments of the last resort in trying to deflect blame away from democracy’s failure in order to preserve the status quo for the ruling political elite.

Democracy’s failure to establish itself in Pakistan is because at its heart it relies on certain values. Chief amongst these is that man is the sovereign and free to legislate, derived from its secular creed that the affairs of the state and religion should not mix allowing Pakistan’s political class to rig the system in their favour. This effective freedom to do as you please is completely averse to Islam where the Shariah lays down legislation for every affair including affairs of the state. The Muslims of Pakistan understand their deen and reject the notion that Allah(SWT) should be consigned to private life. Poll after poll in Pakistan shows consistent and strong support for the implementation of the Shariah. This is why democracy at its origin has an ideological crisis of legitimacy for the Muslims in Pakistan and elsewhere.

Pakistan’s rulers thus look to the US and the UK for political support who in turn heavily meddle and dictate Pakistan’s political affairs in a formula which continues today. It also explains why capitalism is at the heart of the crisis in Pakistan which believes in the freedom of ownership in every way and uses democracy as a means to an end. That end is namely to allow the few to usurp the immense resources of Pakistan as democracy puts the terribly rich, ambitious and powerful in charge. This is why we see members from the same powerful political families contest elections on multiple platforms such as the PPP, ANP, MQM, PML-N and PML-Q to ensure that someone will always get elected in this lottery to safeguard their interests. These individuals use their wealth to literally buy their way into politics with tickets for the forthcoming elections costing tens of millions of rupees. How can anyone expect such ‘parliamentarians’ not to seek to enrich themselves by abusing their positions once in power?

It also explains why some old faces are now flocking to PTI as they anticipate with expectation. Politicians such as Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, foreign ministers under the PPP and Musharraf/PML-Q regimes respectively to name but a few are well versed in this game.  For any party which participates in the system in Pakistan is bound by the rules of the game; those rules do not allow you to tear up the system, that is the price to be paid for entry, political power and patronage from the establishment.

PTI’s claim of bringing a political ‘tsunami’ through this system should be multiplied with a political zero as it does not even have a single seat in the 104 seat senate dominated by the PPP which is necessary to pass any legislation with a two thirds majority. The much heralded and promised PTI reforms such as agricultural taxation and land reforms stand no chance as cooperation from the dominant old parties in the Senate is absolutely essential.  This also explains why Islamic parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami can also never bring any change as they participate in the system and thereby effectively endorse it as they give and take with it. Muhammad(SAW) never compromised with the Quraysh or accepted their offers of power even though they persecuted and attempted to coerce him during his first 13 years in Mecca.

Thus Pakistan today is a rudderless nation with no ideological direction. The two nation theory is deliberately being undermined by the secularised elite in power through the media in a forced bid to halt the growing call for Islam and attempt to normalise relations with India under US geostrategic planning. This was not the aim of the Muslims of India who sacrificed their wealth, property and lives in their millions to demand a separate Muslim homeland and migrated with great hardship to a new state where they could live in peace and security under the shade of Islam. The Muslims of Pakistan have been cruelly deceived and betrayed; instead of true liberation one form of slavery under the British Raj has been exchanged for another under Pakistan’s corrupt ruling system. The demand by the Muslims of Pakistan for the implementation of Islam is entirely legitimate and the genuine will of the people.

The Khilafat system represents a real political ideological alternative for the Muslims of Pakistan and the natural fulfilment of the political movement that led to the partition in 1947. It enshrines constitutional government and the rule of law for at its heart is the Shariah with sovereignty for Allah(SWT) which cannot be changed by any politician or ruler; today Pakistan’s government in the wake of Gillani’s dismissal is attempting to pass new legislation with the Contempt of Court Bill 2012 that will extend immunity already given to the President to every senior sitting government official including the Prime Minister, Ministers’, Chief Ministers’ and Governors’ from criminal prosecution. The Caliph has a contract with the people to deliver on good governance otherwise he would be recognised as a transgressor with an independent judiciary enabled with the power to investigate and if necessary remove any government official from office including the Caliph.

Pakistan’s corrupt secular system is the very cause of its crisis, this is now an undeniable political truth. Pakistan’s situation can never change or improve under its implementation which is nothing less than organised criminality with serial looters and career criminals sitting in power. All the political players who partake in this system do so for their benefit with the ability to pass man made legislation as they see fit for their interests. Pakistan’s rulers will continue to play games by diverting attention with political theatre and alternating spells of military and democratic rule until somebody stops them.

The international order today is in a precarious state amidst capitalism’s great calamity that is enveloping the West with huge upheavals taking place in the Muslim Middle East. Pakistan too cannot remain unaffected by these winds of change. History’s lesson tells us that such tyrannical regimes cannot be sustained indefinitely. The challenge for Pakistan’s people now is not just to protest for the sake of protest but rather such a movement must lead to a viable new political order. The Arab spring has shown that though the people may have revolted there is no revolution yet as the incumbent regimes cling to power through cosmetic face changes, tinkering with the system and in some cases through sheer brute force. Pakistan with its bitter experience with democracy should learn from its mistakes and move forward to re-establish the Khilafat which will deliver an independent and accountable government. Otherwise Pakistan faces a dark and deep descent into inevitable turmoil that almost certainly lies ahead as the system now fails to fulfil even the most basic needs and continues to break down.

The writer is an analyst who specialises in political and international affairs and can be reached by email on atif_salahuddin@hotmail.com and via Twitter @atifsal

No country for Pakistani Hindus

On March 26, 19-year-old Rinkle Kumari, from a village in Sindh, told Chief Justice of Pakistan that she had been abducted by a man called Naveed Shah, and pleaded with the highest court to let her return to her mother. It was a brave plea. Hindu women in Pakistan are routinely kidnapped and then forced to convert if they want the respectability of marriage. They are helpless, as they have neither the numbers nor the political clout to protect themselves. As Rinkle left the court, she screamed before journalists, accusing her captors of forcible conversion, before she was hustled away by the police.

The case grabbed headlines, generated impassioned editorials, and highlighted the cause of a persecuted community, the 3.5 million Hindus in Pakistan. It angered liberals in Pakistan.

But Rinkle had dared to raise her voice, and there would be a price to pay. Her parents in Ghotki village were threatened, her 70-year-old grandfather was shot at, gun-toting goons roamed outside her house. When she returned to the Pakistan Supreme Court on April 18, she meekly said she had converted to Islam. At a packed media briefing in Islamabad’s Press Club, with Shah by her side, the spunk in her snuffed out, she would only say she wants to become an “obedient” wife.

According to police records, each month, an average of 25 girls meet Rinkle’s fate in Sindh alone, home to 90 per cent of the Hindus living in Pakistan. Young Hindu girls are ‘marked’, abducted, raped, and forcibly converted.

Discrimination, extortion threats, killings and religious persecution are driving the remaining Hindus out of Pakistan. They had chosen to stay back after Partition; six decades later, they are no longer welcome.

In India, they are facing a shock worse than catastrophe-betrayal. The Government of India refuses to recognise them as refugees and is unmoved by their plight. In its reply to activist S.C. Agrawal’s RTI query on November 1, 2011, on the status of Pakistani Hindu refugees, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) claimed it was an “internal matter” of Pakistan. In the same reply, the Ministry of Home Affairs admitted that it could not say how many Pakistani Hindus had emigrated.

According to Delhi’s Foreigners Regional Registration Office, there has been a rapid increase in the number of Hindus coming from Pakistan. Till mid-2011, it used to be around eight-ten families a month. But in the past 10 months, an estimated 400 families have come. They are settling down all over India, in Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat. A trickle has become a stream. Hindus, who accounted for 15 per cent of Pakistan’s population in 1947, now constitute a mere 2 per cent of its 170 million population. Many have migrated, others have been killed, and yet others forced to convert to survive. In some cases, the dead have even been denied a proper cremation.

Government must provide protection to the rights of minorities, their lives and properties

On August 16, 2012, the representatives of Hyderabad Hindu Panchiat, Young Hindu Association,  and other Hindu Community organizations and members of civil society and human rights organizations including (Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF), HRCP, Pakistan Peace Coalition, Sindh Human Rights Council, Minority Rights are Equal Rights has welcomed the move of the formation of a three member committee in order to address the issues and grievances faced by the minority but however called it an ethno-religious cleansing and exodus of Sindhi Hindus and demanded that it was more than a committee that was required to protect.

These points were raised in a draft addressed to Zardari and handed over to the members of parliamentary committee on minority issues, federal minister senator Moula Bux Chandio and Senator Hari Ram.

Community and civil society resolved that on the eve of 65th day of independence there is a need that government should respect the rights of minorities, their lives and properties shall be protected as promised by the founder Jinnah in his speech on 11th August 1947 in which he clearly mentioned that political affairs shall be separated from religious matters.

Community and civil society call the establishment of committee as a move of displaying solidarity and look forward to ensure the best possible protection but unfortunately the level of threats that include non-safety of life and property, forced conversion of minor girls, kidnapping for ransom and above all irrecoverable forced are too high and shows disappointment on insufficient steps taken the federal and provincial government in order to address the above mentioned threats and grievances faced by the minority at large.

Community representatives and civil society further said that in the last couple of months more than two dozen minor children, traders, shopkeepers and businessmen were reportedly kidnapped for ransom and more than 700 families have reportedly migrated to India and Southeast Asian countries in a few months due to insecure and unsafe future of their families and businesses. Registration of fake cases and pressure of local influential are a routine threat to them. Extortion is another crime happening and the Hindus are bound to pay this amount in different parts of the province.

Community representatives and civil society leaders appealed to the president that the Hindu community has done a lot to develop the socio-economic landscape of Sindh and Pakistan, and all their hopes are attached with the land and this hope should not be shattered and it is government’s fundamental responsibility to protect its citizens for all kinds of exploitation and discrimination.

Today, hundreds of thousands from this patriotic community feel alienated and like strangers in their homeland. No religion has allowed its followers to convert others by force; even Islam does not allow it. Then how can its followers indulge in such wrong conduct?

Community representatives and civil society leaders had said that if PPP is serious to resolve this issue they first should ask their legislators to stop harassing Hindus and stop forced conversion of Hindu girls and simultaneously PPP should promise to the community that in the coming elections party tickets were not issued to anti-minority and especially anti-Hindu people- And severe actions should be taken against those who are directly involved in the crimes against Hindu community. Resignations shall be demand immediately.

Community representatives and civil society leaders’ shows concern on the unfair trial of Rinkle Kumari in the supreme court of Pakistan.

It was resolved that as per the spirit of 18th amendment and promised for more provincial autonomy, evacuate property trusts shall immediately be handed over to the respective provincial governments and all the historic and religious sites and places of Hindu community shall be protected like other religious places.

It was also requested that the Hindu marriage registration bill should immediately be presented in the national assembly for legislation.

The group also condemned the aggressive tone of Interior Minister Rehman Malik and demand for public apology from Hindu community who feel threatened and humiliated on his remarks that Hindus will be stopped to move outside the country.

It was further said that civil society, political parties shall follow the course in exposing those individuals and groups who are behind religious cleansing of minority groups in Pakistan. We assure of our personal efforts in solidarity with the just and moral cause of our Sindhi Hindu brothers and sisters in Pakistan.

We have to carry on our voicing the painful plight of native Sindhi Hindu community, which has been under systematic onslaught of government agencies, criminal groups, decadent Sardari system and violent clan groups in Sindh. Decades of religious extremism; collapse of judiciary and law enforcement agencies; criminalization and commercialization of political parties in the country especially in Sindh has created an environment where various religious, gender, and ethnic minority groups are thrown under serious vulnerability.

Although it is an unequivocal responsibility of State to safeguard life and property of every citizen but it does not relieve other individuals, groups, and institutions from their moral obligation to fight social injustice and discrimination.  In times when even advanced nations are actively alluring global talent, the most peaceful, law abiding, and hardworking, highly skilled and entrepreneurial native children of Sindh are being forced to leave their motherland just because they happen to be part of a successful but defenseless community.

 Zulfiqar Halepoto
zhalepoto@yahoo.com

Pakistan and its Image Problem

https://plus.google.com/u/0/104233435224873922474/posts/4UcNomnhipX

 

by Eric Schmidt

Jun 21, 2012

Pakistan, a Muslim country, has spent about half of its independent life under military governments.  Today, Pakistani leadership celebrates the ruling coalitions success in almost finishing the first five year term in history (previous leaders indicted by the courts, assassinated by extremists or brushed aside by the generals.)  In meetings last week with the senior General, PM and the Foreign Minister, they made the case for a new and updated image of Pakistan: one of the largest democracies in the world, with a vibrant and open press, an upcoming demographic dividend of hardworking young people, and a highly educated elite leadership of the country.  Islamabad and Lahore, where we visited, were relatively safe and certainly safer than Afghanistan.  It was clear to us that Pakistan has an image problem.

Pakistan also has a power problem, as in electric power.  Power is now off two hours out of three all day and all night.  Estimates are that the country has enough generation capacity (hydro and oil based) to handle all the load, but corruption, power stealing, poor payment rates and the classic mistake of underpricing power compared to its real generation cost means that industrial production is threatened.  Everyone of means has a UPS, and the air-conditioning seldom works on a 45 Celcius day.   Our meetings often were literally in the dark, a common enough occurrence that people did not even remark about it.

Pakistanis are on their way to full mobile penetration with more than 110 million users, and all effective political communication programs now rely on SMS.  3G licenses are underway and the start of a real software industry can be seen.

Against this backdrop, another side of Pakistan emerges.  The consensus is that the military drives the foreign policy of the country with unforeseen consequences.  Alleged use of extremist groups to fight in Kashmir enables a criminal element to flourish, and the hosting of the Taliban in the autonomous regions (called FATA) to the north and west in the mountains turned an ungoverned area into a very dangerous area.  The Army Generals explained the difference between fundamentalism (which they support) and extremism (which they fight), and the political leadership explained that the extremism now comes from “seminaries” where youth are indoctrinated, housed and fed in the rural areas where there are no opportunities at all.

Until recently a strong US ally, Pakistan is now on very good terms with China, and has improving relations with India (with whom they have had three wars.)   The development of a nuclear stalemate between India and Pakistan seems to have forced them to pursue accommodation and trade is now increasing rapidly.  The press are generally hyper-critical of the United States policies in the region and take the view that the India-US relationship is driving much of our countries behavior.  The drone strikes are universally condemned as a violation of sovereignty and their constitution and are subject to much negotiation between the two countries.  The bin Laden raid is viewed with strikingly different perspectives in the two countries.

The son of the chief of the Supreme Court is under investigation for corruption, and the media in turmoil after the appearance of staged interviews.  In return, the Supreme Court has ruled that the Prime Minister is unable to govern after he was sentenced to a 30 second (yes, that’s right) detention for failing to investigate a corruption case against the President.  The PM, so proud of the stability of the political system in his comments a week ago, is now the former PM.  The lack of trust within the society weakens both the real and perceived effectiveness of the government on security, corruption and good government matters.

We met a number of impressive Pakistanis, none more so than Masarrat Misbah of Smile Again.  Every year, hundreds of young rural women have acid thrown on their faces by men as punishment for some dishonor, including being raped by the men who pour acid on her.  This horrific crime, which often leads to death or blindness, requires painful rehabilitation and rebuilding of the woman’s life.  Masarrat Misbah’s home in Lahore provides a temporary safe house.  The perpetrators, most often direct family members, are seldom prosecuted and almost never convicted of anything.  I will never forget the faces of these shy, young women so grievously injured in such an evil way.

Much of what people say and think about Pakistan is absolutely true for most of the FATA provinces (autonomous areas) and for Baluchistan. Pakistan’s image problem results from the fact that people outside the country believe the realities of North and South Waziristan and Quetta are reflective of what the larger country looks like. Islamabad and Lahore are certainly safer than people realize, unless you are a politician (many prominent politicians still suffer assassination attempts and threats inside these cities).

Pakistan’s major security challenge comes from having two many fronts. FATA represents a Haqqani network and Taliban problem, threatening the establishment in Islamabad. Baluchistan is a persistent separatist movement. Afghanistan is a threat because Pashtuns are allowed to go back and forth undocumented.  All of this, including India, is simply too much for a government like Pakistan to take on right now.

We ultimately see three Pakistans:

1) The places where the security issues are true (FATA, Balochistan, parts of SWAT Valley, and Kashmir);

2) the rest of Pakistan for the average citizen, much larger than the first and which is reasonably misunderstood and relatively safe;

3) The politician’s and military’s Pakistan, which whether in FATA or Islamabad, is turbulent, unsafe, and complex.

There is a good case for optimism about Pakistan, simply because of the large emergent middle class (#2).  The country, vast, tribal and complicated, can follow the more successful model of India.  Connectivity changes the rural experience completely.. illiteracy at 43% can be overcome relatively quickly, and providing information alternatives can dissuade young males from a life of terrorism.  The well educated elite can decide to further reform the countries institutions to increase confidence in the government.  The war in Afghanistan, destabilizing to Pakistan in many ways, winds down after 2014 and buys time for Pakistan to address its real and continuing internal terrorism threat (more than 30,000 civilian terror deaths in the decade.)

Technology can help in other ways as well.  The power problem is mostly a tracking problem (tracing corruption and mis-distribution).  The problem of extreme crimes (like acid, or stoning) in poorly policed regions can be mitigated with videos and exposes that shame authorities into prosecution.  The corruption problem can be tracked and traced using mobile money and transparent government finances.  We met with clever Pakistani entrepreneurs who will build large, new businesses in Pakistan in the next few years and global multinational will locate sales and eventually manufacturing in the country.

The emergent middle class of Pakistan won’t settle for a corrupt system with constant terrorism and will push for reforms in a burgeoning democracy.  Here’s to the new civil society of Pakistan, who will use connectivity, information and the Internet, to drive a peaceful revolution that brings Pakistan up to its true potential.

All International Airline Pilots speak English.

• Flights longer than 8 hours require 3 pilots (1 captain and 2 first officers) to rotate flying duties. Flights longer than 12 hours require 4 pilots (1 captain and 3 first officers). They usually fly 3-4 hour shifts.
• Each airline pilot flying the aircraft, eats a different meal to minimize the risk of all pilots on board being ill.
• The normal ratio of Flight Attendants to passenger seats is one Flight Attendant for every 50 passenger seats.
• The height requirement for Flight Attendant is for safety reasons, making sure that all flight attendants can reach overhead safety equipment.
• The normal ratio of Lavatories to passengers is approximately one lavatory for every 50 passengers.
• An air traveler can lose approximately 1.5 liters of water in the body during a three-hour flight.
• The reason why the lights are turned out during takeoff and landing is for your eyes to adjust to lower levels of light. If there’s an accident and they have to activate the emergency slides, studies have shown that you will be able to see better and therefore be able to evacuate more quickly and safely.
• The World’s largest Airline in terms of Fleet Size is Delta Airlines (United States) with 744 aircraft and 121 aircraft on order as of March 2011.
• The largest passenger plane is the Airbus 380 – nearly 240 feet long, almost 80 feet high, and has a wingspan of more than 260 feet. The double-decker plane has a standard seating capacity of 555 passengers.
• The world’s busiest airport in terms of passenger volume or the number of takeoffs and landings, is HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia, United States with more than 88 million passengers shuffled through the Atlanta airport in 2009, with another 20 million in the first three months of 2010, and with aircraft take-off and landings approximately every 37 seconds.
• The Internet/On-Line check-in was first used by Alaskan Airlines in 1999.
• The world’s largest Airport is Kansai International Airport, Osaka, Japan (as of 2011). By 2013 Al Maktoum International Airport in Jebel Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates is planned to be the largest airport in the world.
• The airport with the longest runway in the world is Qamdo Bangda Airport in China with 5.50 kilometers in length (as of 2011).
• American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by removing 1 olive from each salad served in first class.
• In 2009, Southwest served 63.2 million cans of soda, juices, and water; 14.3 million alcoholic beverages; 14 million bags of pretzels; 90 million bags of peanuts; 17.7 million Select-A-Snacks; and 33.5 million other snacks.
• Singapore Airlines spends about $700 million on food every year and $16 million on wine alone. First class passengers consume 20,000 bottles of alcohol every month and Singapore Airlines is the second largest buyer of Dom Perignon champagne in the world.
• Cathay Pacific carries rice cookers, toasters, cappuccino makers and skillets on board their airplanes.
• KLM of Netherlands stands for Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (meaning Royal Dutch Airlines).
• KLM is the worlds’ oldest airline established in 1919.
• QANTAS – Australia’s national airline, originally stood for Queensland And Northern Territories Air Service.
• QANTAS is the second world’s oldest airline established in 1920.
• QANTAS still has the world’s best safety record with no crashes as of 2011.
• Virgin Atlantic lists catering as their third biggest expense, after fuel and maintenance.
• American Airlines spent about $425 million on food for domestic passengers in 2001.
• In one year, British Airways passengers consume:
  * 40.5 tons of chicken
  * 6 tons of caviar
  * 22 tons of smoked salmon
  * 557,507 boxes of chocolate
  * 90 thousand cases (9 liter cases) of sparkling wine.
• Abu Dhabi Airport Services once did a complete turn-around for a Boeing 777 in under 40 minutes, as opposed to a normal minimum of one hour. They unloaded passengers, cargo, mail, cleaned the aircraft, and loaded outbound passengers, cargo and mail in that short time.
• In 2001, Dubai Duty Free sold 1,570,214 cartons of cigarettes, 2,909 kilograms of gold, 101,824 watches, 690,502 bottles of perfume, 52,119 mobile phones.
• In-flight catering is an $18 billion worldwide industry employing up to 200,000 people.