In a recent incident, a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight steward, Muntazir Mehdi, went ‘missing’ after arriving in Toronto, Canada, from Lahore. According to the PIA administration, Mehdi had arrived in Toronto on flight PK-798 on Friday, along with other crew members who were staying at a hotel in the city.The steward’s disappearance came to light when he failed to report for duty on a flight back to Pakistan, prompting the airline management and Canadian immigration authorities to take notice of the matter. This is not the first instance of PIA crew members going missing in Canada, as four flight stewards and air hostesses from the national airline had previously slipped into the country in pursuit of Canadian citizenship.Last year, a similar incident occurred when an air steward, Ramzan Gul, also went missing in Canada after arriving on flight PK-798 in Toronto. The PIA spokesperson confirmed that Gul had boarded the flight from Islamabad in his capacity as a member of the aircraft crew.In response to such occurrences, PIA authorities stated that they have been informing the Canadian immigration authority whenever a crew member goes missing, as part of their obligation under the General Declaration procedure.The situation has raised concerns about the security and screening measures for airline personnel traveling to foreign destinations and has sparked discussions within the aviation industry to address the issue of crew members seeking immigration opportunities while on duty. The PIA administration is closely working with Canadian authorities to locate Muntazir Mehdi and ensure that appropriate actions are taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

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