Cabinet okays revocation of another 22 pilots’ licences

Accords approval to amendments in election laws

ISLAMABAD:

The federal cabinet during its weekly meeting on Tuesday approved the revocation of licenses of 22 more pilots, accorded approval to amendments in electoral act and issued directions to formulate master plans for major cities to curb illegal construction.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz apprised the media about the decisions of the cabinet, saying the cabinet discussed 16-point agenda and expressed satisfaction over the resumption of educational activities of over 2.5 million children in the country, following the decline in Covid-19 cases.

The government’s spokesperson observed that the cabinet had called upon the students and school managements to strictly follow the coronavirus guidelines for containing the spread of the deadly contagion at the educational institutions.

Taking up the first agenda item, the cabinet reviewed a progress report on the ongoing action against pilots with dubious licenses. Subsequently, it approved the revocation of 22 more pilots’ licences.

In addition, the cabinet was informed that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was considering suspending licenses of 32 other pilots for the next 12 months.

It is worth mentioning here that the issue of fake licenses of pilots had taken a new turn on Friday when a Senate standing committee was informed that several discrepancies existed in the 2018 examination records of the pilots and the result sheets generated by the examination software.

Addressing the National Assembly session following the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crash in Karachi on May 22, which resulted in the killings of 97 passengers, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had tipped the airline from crisis to full-blown catastrophe saying that more than 30% of civilian pilots in Pakistan – 262 – had fake licenses; were not qualified to fly; did not take the exam themselves and had paid someone else to sit it on their behalf.

However, the sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation, which met to inquire, investigate and fix responsibility in the CAA-issued “fake” flying licenses resulting in international airspace restrictions and embarrassment, found several new issues that had cast a shadow over the whole episode of the dubious licences matter.

During the meeting, the cabinet was informed that action was also being taken by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against such pilots and civil aviation personnel who collaborated with them. Earlier, the licenses of 28 pilots were revoked.

The cabinet accorded approval to amendments in election laws that will make it mandatory for the elected members to take oath of office within two to three months after the elections.

Currently, Senator-elect Ishaq Dar and MPA-elect Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan have not yet taken oath of their office despite passage of two years, depriving the people of their right to representation.

In the matter of setting up a model jail in the federal capital, the cabinet expressed grave concern over the construction of a prison wall and building on green areas and directed that the constructions be demolished and green areas restored.

At the same time, it advised that those responsible for encroachments on green areas should be identified and action be taken against them.

Faraz noted that the cabinet decided not to regularise illegal construction of a prison on a green area in H-16 in Islamabad as PTI government’s philosophy was to preserve the green belts.

On urban planning, the cabinet emphasised the need for early formulation of master plans to ensure planned construction in major cities.

It instructed the city managements to step up their efforts for formulating master plans to effectively discourage illegal construction and haphazard expansion in major urban areas across the country.

Speaking about the Lahore motorway gang-rape incident, Faraz declared if the culprit had been handed down an exemplary punishment during the tenure of PML-N for his involvement in a rape case in 2013, he would not have repeated the crime.

Responding to a question, he said Nawaz Sharif should return home and surrender himself before the law.

The cabinet also approved the proposed Civil Services Academy Bill 2020 to make the Civil Services Academy an independent institution.

It approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Information Technology and Communication and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China in the field of Information and Communication Technology.

The post-cabinet statement revealed that it had approved the export of anti-malarial drugs and Tyvek suits.

It also endorsed the retail price of 250 drugs, including medicines for diseases such as hepatitis, influenza and cancer.

Among other things, the cabinet sanctioned appointment of District and Sessions Judge Rajab Ali as Judge Special Court (Central) Peshawar, District and Sessions Judge/Judge Banking Court-2 Faisalabad Muhammad Waseem Akhtar as Judge Special Court (Central III) Lahore and District and Sessions Judge Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan as Judge Special Court (Central) Rawalpindi.