Dubious licenses: Govt says all pilots currently flying planes cleared scrutiny process

ISLAMABAD: The government assured people that Pakistani pilots who were currently flying aircraft had cleared the scrutiny process, a few weeks after the government made the startling revelation that many pilots had secured 'dubious licenses' with irregularities in them. 

Information minister Shibli Faraz defended the government's decision to make public the preliminary report of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK8303 crash on Thursday, assuring passengers that they should not worry about their safety while flying as all pilots currently operating aircraft had successfully gone through scrutiny. 

“Anyone travelling right now should know that pilots flying right now have gone through the scrutiny process. They shouldn't worry,” he said.

Faraz said the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan was committed to ensuring merit and transparency in all national institutions. He recounted how the PIA used to be a prestigious airline in the decades of the 1960s to 1980s, but it was ruined by political interference of the governments during the past 10-15 years.

The senator said that the PIA and other private airlines in Pakistan had been continuing their flight operations and pilots operating the flights were those who had been given the clean chit and they were fully qualified pilots.

Replying to questions, he said that before coming to this press conference, he saw on television screens the press conferences of PML-N leaders belonging to Shahid Khaqan Abbasi group, then those of the Shahbaz Sharif group and it was expected that some leaders of Maryam Nawaz group would also hold a media talk.

He pointed out that none of the prime minister's family members was part of the government unlike the PML-N regime when the younger brother of then prime minister was chief minister and father-in-law of his daughter was the finance minister. 

Speaking about the dubious licenses issue, the prime minister's special aide Shahzad Akbar said that the summary on cancellation of licences was put up to the cabinet Wednesday, which sought more details. He contended that there would be no compromise on air safety. 

Akbar added that the government's investigations had revealed that the sugar industry regulator was compromised and also referred to former premier Abbasi as being the chief executive of the country at one point in time and the same of a private airline.

He pointed out that the PIA and CAA issues had been presented before the Supreme Court during stints of various chief justices in the past and that PIA operations were banned in Europe previously as well.

Originally published in The News