Pakistan suspends licences of 16 pilots, 65 cabin crews for holding fake degrees

Pakistan's civil aviation regulator Wednesday said it has suspended the licences of 16 pilots and 65 cabin crew of various airlines operating in the country for holding fake educational qualifications.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) told this to the Supreme Court during the hearing of a case related to the verification of degrees of pilots and other staff of various airlines, the Dawn reported.

The CAA counsel informed the three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, that the regulator has completed the process of verification of degrees of all airline staff, except for six officials, who are currently abroad.

"The degrees of 16 pilots and 65 cabin crews turned out to be forged during the verification process. The licences of these staff members were subsequently suspended," he was quoted as saying in the report.

During the hearing, the Chief Justice said that there was an impression that the authorities were acting in haste in the matter because of court orders.

"We do not want to prohibit anyone's livelihood," he said, adding that the record on the basis of which airline staff have been suspended should be correct. Following the hearing, the apex court wrapped up the case, which it had taken up in May 2018, it said.

During a hearing in the case in December, the CAA had informed the top court that the academic credentials of seven pilots of the Pakistan's national carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), had been found to be fake. Five of them had not even passed their matriculation examination, the regulator has said.