SC declares CAA DG appointment null and void

Court observes that due procedure and the necessary legal obligations were not followed.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has declared the appointment of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Director General Air Marshal (retd) Khalid Chaudhry null and void, Express News reported on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court stated that the due procedure and the necessary legal obligations were not followed and therefore the appointment of Air Marshal (retd) Chaudhry as the CAA director general was not acceptable.

Background

A three-member bench of the apex court chaired by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was hearing a petition by Advocate Fasihuddin Khan Vardag, who had challenged the appointment of the Air Marshal as CAA director general.

The court had earlier observed that due procedure was not followed over the appointment and the Air Marshal was hand-picked by the prime minister himself.

Advocate Syed Iftikhar Gilani, the counsel for CAA chief, argued that the current director general was appointed because he carried rich professional experience in the field of aviation.