FIA registers cases against 40 pilots out of 50 in ‘Fake Pilots’ degree

FIA’s Corporate Crime Circle Karachi registered three FIRs in ‘Fake Pilot License Exam’ cases against Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), pilots and private persons

KARACHI: After thorough investigation and directive of the federal government, the Federal Investigation Agency has registered three FIRs against 40 pilots out of 50 pilots and other officials of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) here on Friday.

The FIA’s Corporate Crime Circle Karachi registered three FIRs in ‘Fake Pilot License Exam’ cases against Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), pilots and private persons.

According to an statement of the FIA, “The exams were conducted either on public holidays, for example, Eid Milad-un-Nabi, Eid Holidays, weekends, after office hours. Some of the pilots’ exams were conducted when they were performing domestic/international flights.”

Three FIRs No. 06/2021, 07/2021 and 08/2021 against 40 pilots out of 50 recommended by the government, eight government officials of PCAA license branch and one private person.

The statement said, “the FIRs have been registered on the written complaint of Deputy Director General (Regulatory) PCAA regarding issuance of Commercial Pilot License (CPL) and Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL).”

The cases have been registered against the authorities of Licensing Branch of PCAA, private person and accused pilots who illegally obtained CPL and ATPL on the basis of fake pilot license exams, the FIA officials said in a statement.

The FIA detained accused Khalid Mehmood, Acting Additional Director (Licensing), PCAA, Faisal Manzoor Ansari, Senior Joint Director, Licensing Branch, PCAA, Asif-ul-Haq, Senior Joint Director, Licensing Branch, PCAA, Muhammad Mahmood Hussain, Additional Director (Licensing), PCAA, Abdul Raees, Senior Superintendent HR —Licensing Branch, PCAA and Muhammad Saqlain Ali, Pilot. While the FIA teams making efforts to arrest other accused persons..

The government has ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to start criminal proceedings against the 50 Commercial Pilots whose licenses were suspended after an inquiry into a plane crash in Karachi and whose licenses could not be verified.

In a written statement, the federal government told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that 172 of the 262 pilots – whose licenses were declared dubious during an investigation into May 22 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crash – have been cleared after their verification.

It said licenses of 50 of the pilots have, however, been cancelled as these licenses could not be verified. The federal cabinet has also approved the summary for cancellation of these licenses.

On May 22, a PIA plane crashed in a densely populated residential area of Karachi a few kilometers from the runway while on a second approach after a failed landing. Of the 91 passengers and 8 crewmembers, 97 were killed.

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