Breach of rules: PM’s aviation adviser seen in conflict of interest

Spokesperson for the Aviation Division, Sher Ali Khan, said, “Azim has nothing to do with RAS


Zahid Gishkori March 05, 2015
Shujaat Azim. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:


In what seems to be a case of conflict of interest, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Aviation, Capt. (retd) Shujaat Azim, has been found to have facilitated the setting up of an international courier and mail center by bypassing rules. The Lahore High Court (LHC), on February 27, issued a notice to the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General and has sought para-wise comments of the government on appointment of Azim as Special Assistant to PM on Aviation.


Officials working with the Express Courier Mail Center (ECMC) confirmed that the international cargo facility at Allama Iqbal International Airport (AIIA) Lahore belongs to Royal Airport Services (RAS). RAS was run by Azim before he assumed the current office.

“The top management completely violated the rules by subletting to a third party and requiring airlines to use this courier centre without taking any license or permission from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA),” a top official at AIIA told The Express Tribune.  The center started its operation last month, said the official who did not want to be named.

The official added that PM Nawaz Sharif established an Aviation Division to meet challenges of the aviation industry as well as to support the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). “But Azim unfortunately is benefiting his own firms like Apollo and other companies,” he claimed.

“Yes, ECMC is associated with the RAS. Group Captain Rauf Ahmed is heading it,” Iftikhar Ahmed, an officer at ECMC, confirmed to The Express Tribune. The company will hopefully expand courier services to other national and international airports, he added.

While on one hand the newly established Aviation Division is contacting foreign airlines to increase air traffic to and from Pakistan, this will only be allowed to happen if RAS is given the monopoly over handling ground services, revealed a senior officer of CAA.  “It is evident with the appointment of RAS as the ground handling agents for many airlines. Like Etihad Airways, Gulf Airways, Qatar Airways and Oman Airways,” he added.

Last month, RAS asked many international carriers to appoint it as the general sales agency if they want to get additional traffic rights to Pakistan. This was done with Azim’s recommendation, a local employee of Etihad Airways revealed. “Our airlines are helpless. Despite using proper channel our requests are being stalled,” he told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity. The CAA, on complaints of Turkish Airlines and Chinese carriers, served a notice to RAS, but very little action was taken to address their concerns, he stated.

“If Azim is a stakeholder in ECMC service then it is a serious case of conflict of interest. He should either give up his job of Special Assistant or his interests in the aviation industry,” observed retired Air Commodore Pakistan Air Force Jamal Hussain, who also served as President of Investigation Board in CAA in the past.

An impartial fact-finding team could investigate such conflict of interest cases which will reveal how badly the aviation division is involved in causing harm to the private sector and causing losses to the national exchequer, Jamal observed.

 The other side of the story

Spokesperson for the Aviation Division, Sher Ali Khan, said, “Azim has nothing to do with RAS. He distanced himself from all companies as he assumed this office.” About establishing the ECMC at Lahore Airport he said, “Azim did not grant any favours to anyone for this courier service.”

Secretary CAA Muhammad Ali Gardezi said, "ECMC is just a facilitating service between airlines and courier companies and no financial gain is involved. Courier companies are already moving their cargo through RAS.” Gardezi added that ECMC is not situated at the Lahore airport but is located in Lahore city, and EU and US postal systems want courier companies to be at the airports due to security issues, which is why RAS comes in.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2015.

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