Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan on Thursday informed the Senate that as many as 700 employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) who were inducted on fake degrees and political ground during past governments tenure have been terminated so far.
In response to various supplementary questions during Question Hour, the minister said that those employees were not only terminated but also criminal and judicial actions were taken against them.
Regarding fake license of pilots, the minister said that licenses of 262 pilots were found suspicious. After due verification process, 50 pilots have been terminated, 32 suspended while cases of remaining pilots were pending in various courts.
Irony of this news report where a senate committee headed by Senator Hasil Bizenjo, @sherryrehman & Samina Saeed
They thought it best NOT TO FIRE PIA employees with FAKE DEGREES
No wonder the learned senator took offense to the #PIAplanecrash reporthttps://t.co/shzcUlBwIA
— Awab Alvi (@DrAwab) June 24, 2020
He said the opposition should appreciate the present government’s action against pilots possessing suspicious licenses.
The minister said restrictions on the PIA flight operation to the European countries would be lifted after International Civil Aviation Organization’s safety audit in October or November this year.
He said flight operations to six European/ United Kingdom countries have been suspended. Approximate loss incurred due to closure of flight after statement of June, 2020 regarding Pakistan Pilot’s fake licenses was Rs 7.9 billion during last six months.
Read more: Will PIA fire employees who submitted fake degrees?
Since operation to/ from Europe/ UK (Italy, Spain, Norway, Denmark, and France) has been suspended Since June 30, 2020 and no exact figures could be calculated.
12 plane crash incidents
As the EU suspended flight operations, Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that the government had announced Rs1 million compensation for the families of those who were killed in the PIA plane crash.
He said that 12 plane crash incidents have happened till yet since the creation of Pakistan, adding that all investigation reports on the plane crash will be made public and to be present before parliament.
Read More: PIA PK 8303: The cost of incompetency
“Government will present the initial investigation report of PIA plane crash before parliament on June 22,” said the minister. The aircraft with 99 passengers and crew members on board had crashed while trying to make an emergency landing at Karachi airport. Only two people survived the tragic incident.
Courtesy: APP