Govt issues show cause notices to 30 more pilots

 Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan has said the government has issued show cause notices to 30 more pilots, who are suspected of having fake credentials.

“We are going to present case for termination of every suspected pilot to the cabinet. We will also register cases against all pilots who have fake licenses,” Khan said, addressing the media on Saturday.

On June 27, the minister told the press that the government had served show cause notices to 28 pilots and given them the opportunity for personal hearing and that 9 of them had confessed to having bogus licenses.

“After having met all the legal formalities, the case for the termination of 28 pilots would be placed before the federal cabinet for its approval,” he had announced then.

On Saturday, the minister said the licensing authority under the Civil Aviation Authority’ (CAA) had already suspended 5 officials and started disciplinary action against them.

“The federal government will also present air crash investigation reports of all recent plane crashes in the parliament. These will include reports about Boja, Airblue and PIA plane accidents,” he added.

Sharing the finding of May 22 plane crash in Karachi, Ghulam Sarwar Khan on June 24 told the National Assembly that 262 pilots, out of total 860 pilots in the country, had suspicious flying licences and would be grounded immediately. Khan in his June 27 press conference gave details of the 262 pilots.

According to the minister, the forensic inquiry revealed that 121 of the pilots got their license by cheating in one exam paper; 39 in 2 exam papers; 21 in 3 exam papers; 15 in 4 exam papers; 11 in 5 exam papers; 11 in 6 exam papers, 10 in 7 exam papers and 34 pilots in 8 exam papers.

The statement was prominently covered by international news outlets and the European Union’s Air Safety Agency (EASA) on June 30 suspended authorization of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) – the national flag carrier – to operate in the bloc for 6 months.

In the wake of the statement, Vietnam and Gulf states also grounded Pakistani pilots.

A petitioner also moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking dismissal of Ghulam Sarwar Khan, for causing harm to the image of the country and its aviation sector. However, the court dismissed the petition, stating that only the prime minister has the authority to dismiss any of his cabinet members.