KARACHI: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has apprehended another pilot from Islamabad in fake pilots’ licence scandal on Tuesday.
According to sources, FIA apprehended a pilot, Fahad Sultan who was trying to flee to the United Kingdom on a UK passport from New Islamabad International Airport.
FIA Deputy Director Rauf Sheikh said the pilot was apprehended as he was nominated in fake pilots’ licence scandal case. Pilot Fahad Sheikh has been shifted to FIA headquarter, said FIA deputy director, adding that the federal investigation agency is conducting raids for the arrest of other suspects in licence scandal.
The accused was allegedly involved in the issuance of Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) by CAA on the basis of fake pilot licence exams.
Earlier, a pilot and five officers of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the fake pilots’ licence scandal. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) corporate crime circle completed its investigation into the issuance of fake licences to pilots. Six arrests have been made including a pilot and five officers of the CAA while three cases have been registered.
The accused were allegedly involved in the issuance of Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) by CAA on the basis of fake pilot licence exams.
The probe by FIA revealed that the exams had been conducted eight public holidays, weekends and post office hours. The examinations of some pilots were conducted when they were performing domestic and international flights.
According to a statement issued by FIA Sindh Director Rauf Shaikh, the arrested persons include pilot Muhammad Saqlain.
Others officers arrested include Khalid Mahmood, Acting Additional Director Licencing CAA, Faisal Manzoor Anwar, Senior Joint Director Licencing Branch CAA, Asiful Haq, Senior Joint Director Licencing Branch CAA, Muhammad Mahmood Hussain, Additional Director Licencing CAA, Abdul Raees, Senior Superintendent Human Resources (HR) Licencing Branch CAA.
The First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by FIA’s corporate crime circle in Karachi over the written complaint of CAA Deputy Director-General Regulatory which nominated 40 pilots, eight government officers of CAA licencing branch and another person,
The scandal rocked the nation after it emerged that 102 out of 141 pilots belonging to the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) had obtained dubious licences. The national carrier terminated 28 licences and seven more were suspended by the aviation authority.
