Action against pilots holding fake licenses on the cards

KARACHI: After initial investigation report about PK-8303 air crash presented in the National Assembly, competent authorities are expected to take key decisions including action against the pilots having fake licences, citing sources ARY News reported on Wednesday.

According to sources, the authorities have decided to take strict actions against the pilots holding fake licences and lists of these pilots have been summoned from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

“Such pilots will be grounded forthwith till completion of the inquiry against them,” sources said. These pilots are a threat to the safety of flights, they said.

According to sources, pilots having alleged bogus licences are flying aircraft. It has been disclosed that around 150 pilots allegedly holding fake licenses, according to sources.

PIA chief Air Marshall Arshad Malik has called the legal and flight operations teams over the matter, sources said.

Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan while presenting the preliminary report on the PK-8303 crash claimed that around 30 percent pilots holding fake degrees and recruited on political grounds. “Even 262 pilots didn’t pass their examination, someone else appeared in exams for them, and they have no proper flight experience,” he said.

“Twenty-four of them were issued show-cause notices and nine pilots while weeping before courts accepted their mistake,” Sarwar said. They pleaded for pardon but it won’t be granted to them. “No politics or favoritism will be involved in the matter,” the aviation minister said.