KARACHI: As news of the deaths of two Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees was broadcast, the national flag carrier’s flight operations across the country began shutting down in solidarity with the protesters, officials said.

While flight operations remained on schedule Tuesday morning despite the PIA unions’ call for a complete strike against privatisation of the airline, the situation changed drastically after employees protesting outside the Karachi Airport clashed with law enforcement personnel, resulting in the deaths of two PIA employees.

PIA Flight operations were suspended around 4pm at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Peshawar’s Bacha Khan International Airport and the Quetta Airport, officials confirmed.

PIA Lahore spokesman Athar Awan said flight operations had been halted after two PIA employees were killed in clashes with forces. PIA’s employees later gathered outside the Lahore Airport to register their protest.

Employees also gathered outside the Islamabad Airport Tuesday afternoon, vowing to continue their protest till their demands are accepted by the government. Police and Rangers personnel have been deployed in the area.

A Civil Aviation Authority official in Quetta, on condition of anonymity, told media that flights to and from Quetta had been delayed indefinitely following the protest outside Karachi Airport.

Earlier today, Civil Aviation officials told media that flight operations at JIA, Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport and Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport were expected to continue as scheduled.

But as PIA employees in Karachi clashed with law enforcement personnel, the status of a number of flights at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport remains unclear.

Passengers are advised to call the airport ahead of time to confirm the status of their flights.

PIA reservation counters at the Peshawar Airport were shut down at 11am, an airport official told media.

Protests by PIA employees have also erupted in Multan and Peshawar in solidarity with the treatment meted out to their colleagues in Karachi.