Cabinet approves dismissal of 28 pilots

Allows Air Marshal Malik to complete his term as PIA CEO even after PAF retirement

ISLAMABAD:

The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the dismissal of 28 commercial pilots whose licences were found to dubious after an inquiry and also allowed PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Mahmood Malik to complete his three-year term on a contractual basis even after his retirement from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on July 12.

The cabinet had approved the hiring of Malik as the CEO of the national carrier on April 26, 2018 on deputation as he was serving in the PAF.

The cabinet gave the nod to the Aviation Division’s suggestion Malik should be allowed to complete his three years on contractual basis.

In March this year, the Supreme Court had allowed Air Marshal Malik to continue as the PIA CEO. He was restrained from functioning as chief of the flag carrier by the Sindh High Court in December last year.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz said the cabinet was informed that the dubious licences were issued to the pilots during the governments of the PPP and the PML-N between 2010 and 2018. “They [the PPP and PML-N governments] corrupted the system by doing so,” he added.

The minister said all stakeholders – both domestic and international – had been informed that the pilots whose licences were found dubious in the inquiry had been grounded, while all others were had been “cleared”

He added that action had been initiated against the PIA and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) officials involved in issuing fake licences.

“Disciplinary proceedings have been completed against the 28 pilots who have been dismissed from service.”

Shibli maintained that disciplinary and criminal proceedings against the remaining pilots with dubious credentials was under way and the government believed in reforming systems and institutions and exposing and taking action against organised mafias.

Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar had said last month that nine of 28 pilots being investigated for suspicious licences had "confessed" and they would be sacked after approval from the federal cabinet. He also announced that 262 pilots would be barred from flying because their credentials were “dubious”.

The cabinet also approved an increase in petroleum prices, granted permission to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to hire lawyers without the approval of the Law and Justice Division and gave the nod to the signing of an agreement between the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) on deployment of the Readmission Case Management System.

The minister said the addition of predicate offences in the schedule of Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010, under Section 42 of the law was also approved.

The cabinet approved the allocation of land in sectors F-12 and G-12 to the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority.

It also appointed Rahat Kaunain Hassan as the chairman of the Competition Commission of Pakistan and two other members of the body.

The minister said the cabinet had decided to give the additional responsibility of State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan chairman to Riaz Ahmed Memon while including him in its board of directors.

Approving the amendment pertaining to making the Drug Pricing Policy of 2018 in line with the drug act of 1976, the cabinet examined a report on the “deliberate delay” in the process of the registration that would pave the way for locally producing Remdesivir Injection, which was being studied for the treatment of Covid-19.

It also ratified the decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation in its meeting on July 2, 2020.

The cabinet lauded the performance of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Covid-19, noting that the forum successfully dealt with the situation arising out of the Covid-19 and the number of cases had started decreasing due to the effective policy of the government.

It emphasised the need to implement the government’s standard operating procedures during Eidul Azha.

It lauded the government’s economic team over the approval of budget and appreciated the efforts of Special Assistant to the PM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Sania Nishtar while directing her to start planning the second phase of the Ehsaas program.

The cabinet was given an update on the implementation of the recommendations of the sugar inquiry commission. Industries minister Hammad Azhar told the meeting that a sugar reform committee had been formed which would monitor the entire supply chain from sugarcane purchase to supply of sugar to the markets and help supply of sugar at affordable prices to consumers.