Counterfeit testimonials
The suspension will remain in force till they fulfil this mandatory requirement
The fake degree saga has begun to cast its net wider. After the disqualification of lawmakers for possessing bogus educational testimonials some years ago, the latest victims of phony degrees are employees of our national flag carrier.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced that it has sacked over 50 employees, including pilots and cabin crew, for holding fake degrees. According to a statement issued by the national carrier, the employees have been fired on the directions of the Supreme Court (SC) in the fake degrees case. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar had taken notice of alleged appointment of pilots holding forged academic certificates. A two-member bench, headed by the CJP, on last Tuesday had fixed a deadline of December 28 to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for completing the verification of pilots’ degrees. As per the top court’s instructions, the aviation regulator suspended the licences of pilots and cabin crew with proven fake testimonials on an immediate basis. The authority’s director-general also ordered suspension of pilots and cabin crew members who have not yet submitted their degrees and certificates. The suspension will remain in force till they fulfil this mandatory requirement.
Some hair-raising facts had emerged during the court proceedings of the case, including the fact that some pilots had not even completed their Matric. One judge aptly remarked that a non-matric person could not even drive a bus but middle-pass people had been flying aeroplanes. The CAA’s legal adviser told the court that cases of 4,321 employees had been verified while 402 were still pending. The bench directed the attorney to have a meeting with the PIA officials, education boards and the universities to sort out the pending cases. The court is due to take up the matter again on January 9.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2018.
The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced that it has sacked over 50 employees, including pilots and cabin crew, for holding fake degrees. According to a statement issued by the national carrier, the employees have been fired on the directions of the Supreme Court (SC) in the fake degrees case. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar had taken notice of alleged appointment of pilots holding forged academic certificates. A two-member bench, headed by the CJP, on last Tuesday had fixed a deadline of December 28 to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for completing the verification of pilots’ degrees. As per the top court’s instructions, the aviation regulator suspended the licences of pilots and cabin crew with proven fake testimonials on an immediate basis. The authority’s director-general also ordered suspension of pilots and cabin crew members who have not yet submitted their degrees and certificates. The suspension will remain in force till they fulfil this mandatory requirement.
Some hair-raising facts had emerged during the court proceedings of the case, including the fact that some pilots had not even completed their Matric. One judge aptly remarked that a non-matric person could not even drive a bus but middle-pass people had been flying aeroplanes. The CAA’s legal adviser told the court that cases of 4,321 employees had been verified while 402 were still pending. The bench directed the attorney to have a meeting with the PIA officials, education boards and the universities to sort out the pending cases. The court is due to take up the matter again on January 9.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2018.