PAC takes notice PIA’s VVIP flight operations, iPad scam

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has taken notice of VVIP flight operations of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and iPad scam, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The PAC chairman Noor Alam Khan chaired the session in which he took notice of PIA’s VVIP flight operations for different personalities and another scam of renting 350 iPads for the national airline’s aircraft in 2016.

The PAC chairman questioned the PIA management regarding the personalities who flew via the VVIP flights. Surprisingly, the PIA CEO was unaware of the personalities who travelled on the VVIP flights.

READ: COURT REJECTS BAIL PLEA OF FORMER PIA MD, GM

Noor Alam Khan expressed outrage over the PIA management for being completely unaware of the persons who used PIA aircraft for chartered flights. The PAC sought details of the persons who had benefitted from the PIA’s VVIP chartered flights.

Moreover, the audit officials apprised the committee that in 2016, PIA rented 350 iPads for 1.5 years which caused a financial loss worth Rs99 million to the national exchequer. Noor Alam Khan questioned in which country iPads are being rented out.

The PIA officials said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was conducting an inquiry into the iPad scam. A case was also lodged against seven persons, whereas, three accused were arrested and three were released on bail, the PIA officials told the PAC.

READ: IPADS IN PIA PLANES: FIA WIDENS PROBE OVER ‘RS3BLN’ LOSS TO EXCHEQUER

In November 2021, it emerged that the FIA corporate crime circle had launched a probe into PIA’s iPad scam. According to the FIA, the accused had signed contracts with foreign firms for renting 350 iPads for in-flight entertainment for business class.

The accused had allegedly procured iPads for Boeing 777 aircraft despite the fact that these planes had no mobile phone data or Wi-Fi facilities, FIA revealed, adding their illegal act caused losses of Rs99 million to the exchequer.

The contracts came to light when a special audit of the airline’s accounts was carried out on the directives of the apex court.