Another steward of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has reportedly disappeared from Canada, marking the second incident in a week. Jibran Baloch, aged 47, was a member of the cabin crew on flight PK-783 from Karachi to Toronto. He was expected to return on flight PK-782 to Islamabad, but did not show up. When his hotel room was checked, he was not there, and no other clues were found to locate him. Baloch joined PIA in 2005.
This incident follows the disappearance of air hostess Maryam Raza from her hotel room in Toronto, who arrived on flight PK-782 from Islamabad. This year alone, three cabin crew members have gone missing after arriving in Canada. Last year, seven PIA cabin crew members also disappeared while on duty in the country.
Authorities attribute this trend to the asylum opportunities offered in Canada, which allows individuals to seek asylum after entering the country. A former crew member who disappeared years ago has since settled in Canada and reportedly advises others considering seeking asylum. PIA management has been working with Canadian authorities to prevent such incidents in the future.