–Orders CAA DG to submit report on issuance of fake licences within two weeks
–PIA to ground nearly 150 pilots facing inquiry over dubious licences
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday took notice of reports of pilots flying planes in Pakistan without licences.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed has summoned a reply from the director-general of civil aviation within two weeks, directing him to explain how and why these fake licences are issued and what action is being taken against the people who issue them.
Putting passengers’ lives at risk is a major crime, the CJP said.
He also summoned the heads of PIA, Air Blue and Serene Air at next hearing, directing them to submit reports verifying the licences of the pilots in their employ.
In a related development, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Thursday that it will be grounding nearly 150 out of its 426 pilots amid an inquiry that they hold “dubious” licences.
A day earlier, Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said 262 pilots, out of total 860 in the country, have suspicious flying licences and would be grounded immediately.
Talking to media in Islamabad, he said licences of these pilots are dubious.
The minister stated that there are some pilots, who did not appear in any paper but managed to get the licences.
He informed that the government has decided that all such pilots would be issued show cause notices and charge sheets so that they could not fly any plane.
Sarwar said criminal proceedings would also be initiated against pilots with fake licences as the government could not allow anyone to put the lives of its citizens at risk.
The decision comes at a time when an initial inquiry into a PIA plane crash was presented before the parliament by the country’s aviation minister, who also highlighted irregularities at the national carrier.
A PIA Airbus A320 crashed on May 22 in Karachi, killing all but two of those aboard.
