KARACHI: As the case of dubious pilot licenses is under process, the federal government has constituted a three-member committee to review the cases of suspended pilots.
As per details, the authorities on Sunday constituted a three-member board to review the canceled pilot licenses cases referred by the courts and the director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
According to a letter, Aviation Division Joint Secretary Mir Hassan Naqvi will head the “Board of Review, while CAA Additional Director Captain Zia Khan and PAF’s Wing Commander Muhammad Taimur Hussain will be members of the body.
In a letter to CAA DG, Deputy Secretary CAA, Sheikh Noor Muhammad said the federal government has been pleased to constitute a board of review comprising following to review the canceled pilot licenses cases referred by the courts and the DG CAA under Rule 343 of CARs, 1994.
“PCAA is requested to submit all the cases of the pilots who have requested their cancellation order to be reviewed by a Board of Review under Rule 343 of CARs, 1994 to this division,” Sheikh Noor Muhammad said in the letter.
Earlier on March 7, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had expanded the sphere of investigations in suspicious licenses of pilots and interrogated a senior official of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
According to sources privy to the matter, the corporate crime circle of the FIA had interrogated the Senior Additional Director (IT) Tahir Umar besides also spending two days in the IT sector of the CAA.
Earlier, more than 140 pilots had been restricted from flying with immediate effect for holding suspicious or bogus licenses.
According to details, Pakistan International Airlines have barred 141 pilots from operating flights on the suspicion of holding fake licenses.
In a statement, PIA management stated that the inquiry against 28 pilots has already been completed; moreover, 9 of them have also admitted having fake licenses.
PIA CEO Arshad Malik informed the Ministry of Aviation and all ambassadors in this regard. Moreover, Airblue has also grounded nine pilots while SereneAir too restricted 10 pilots who had dubious licenses.
PIA came under strict scrutiny after a flight carrying 99 passengers crashed in Karachi last month on 22nd May that claimed 97 lives. An initial investigation report held the pilots responsible for the accident. However, earlier in June, a provisional report claimed that as many as 150 out of a total 400 flag carrier pilots held fake flying licenses.
