Criminal probe begins in pilots licence row

PAKISTAN has opened criminal investigations into 50 pilots and at least five civil aviation officials who allegedly helped them falsify credentials to secure licences, according to two senior government sources and cabinet meeting minutes seen by Reuters.

The probes comes some three months after Pakistan grounded dozens of pilots over allegedly dubious qualifications. At the time, the civil aviation regulator said it would conduct an inquiry into the scandal.

On the government’s orders, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched criminal probes, according to minutes from last Tuesday’s (15) cabinet meeting and the sources, who declined to be named as the discussions are private.

A show-cause notice served to one of the pilots and seen by Reuters said the FIA was investigating “alleged corruption, violations, malpractices in (the) issuance of flight crew licences.”

Munir Ahmed Shaikh, a senior FIA official, confirmed that a probe into the matter was ongoing, but declined to comment any further. The civil aviation ministry declined to comment until the government makes the matter public.

The ministry submitted the findings to the cabinet chaired by prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, said the sources, adding another 32 pilots have separately been suspended for a year.

A spokesman for PALPA, the local pilots’ association, said it had no clarity on the status of the probe. PIA spokesman said it was awaiting details.