SC dismisses review petitions of PIA employees in fake degrees case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed review petitions moved by eight PIA employees against its verdict in the fake degrees case.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, expressed displeasure over the appellants seeking review of the top court’s verdict saying the court had been turned into a joke.

A lawyer representing the appellants contended before the bench that the SC’s verdict is being misinterpreted. The subordinate courts are not ready to listen to their contention because of the ruling, he added.

Before winding up the proceedings, the bench issued directives for the relevant courts to deal with such matters as per the law.

Shazia Afridi, Samina Qureshi, Rauf Baig, Kamran Khan and others had instituted appeals against the verdict.

In Jan last year, the then chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar had taken notice of alleged appointment of pilots holding fake qualifications. He had ordered the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to have their degrees verified and submit a report.

Subsequently, a large number of employees of the airline were found to be possessing fake degrees and dismissed from their services.

The Senate Standing Committee on Aviation was informed earlier this month that 121 PIA employees were dismissed while 377 disciplinary cases are pending against others for submitting fake or tampered with educational documents.

Pilots, cabin crews and low ranking staff are among the 121 who have been terminated.