IHC summons CAA secretary, AGP over pilots licences issue

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has summoned the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) secretary and the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) in person on the next hearing in the case of suspension of pilot’s licences and the non-appointment of the director general of the regulator.

Chief Justice Athar Minallah has observed that irresponsible statements had tarnished the image of the national airline, adding that because of the losses to the pilots and the national airline the case before the court was a matter of public interest.

During the hearing, the chief justice said it tantamount to the incompetence of the federal government that the CAA DG could not be appointed so far. He also said that the reasons given by the deputy attorney general in this regard were unsatisfactory.

The court said that it cannot rule on the matter of pilots because it was expert in this field. Deputy Attorney General Syed Tayyab Shah informed the court that the federal cabinet had given the additional charge with direction to complete the work in 60 days.

The chief justice said that at present there was no authority to make decisions regarding the pilots. The federal government is not giving a satisfactory answer, he said. The court will not issue an order that is not in its jurisdiction, he added. The hearing was adjourned till November 24.

During hearing of another petition against giving charge of acting CAA DG to the Aviation Secretary Hassan Nasir Jami, the court said that reply had been sought on the appointment of the DG and asked the petitioner to wait for the reply.

The petitioner informed the court that he was running a flying school and was ready to present facts of the case before the court. The court remarked that it had no such expertise and it could only give guidelines to the government. The court adjourned further hearing of the case till November 24.