Releasing air crash reports

The prime minister silenced many critics when he released a damning report on the sugar crisis implicating even his close aides. The move was unprecedented as previously such investigative reports were brushed aside and never released.

Now the prime minister has ordered to make all plane crash investigation reports public. Pakistan has a chequered aviation safety record including a number of airline crashes. The industry is dominated by the fledgling PIA which needs to undergo a massive reformation.

There have been 12 major plane crashes in recent history including the one last week. The most vivid one in our memory is the Airblue plane which crashed in the Margall Hills in 2010. The crash is the deadliest air disaster killing 152 people. In 2016, a PIA plane burst into flames while travelling from Chitral to Islamabad killing 47 on board including Junaid Jamshed.

The decision to release the investigation reports is a step in the right direction as the people deserve to know the facts which have suppressed for long. There should no reprieve and if anyone is involved and found guilty of due negligence, then strict action should be taken against them. This is the only way that can provide much-needed solace to the family members of the victims.

There are also doubts that the May 22 plane crash investigation will also be pushed aside. The prime minister was briefed on the reasons for the delay in releasing such reports which never come out in time. It was decided that these reports should not be kept in the vaults but rather released to the public.

The prime minister had also ordered that a preliminary report in the PIA air crash should be released soon. The aviation minister has also announced that the report will be made public on 22^nd June. The minister has vowed that transparent investigation will be conducted and all stakeholders will involved.

It may be mentioned an Airbus team is still in Karachi to investigate the air crash. It was supposed to depart the same day on May 26 but has extended its stay to collect more evidence including interviewing the air traffic controller and airport authorities.

The cockpit voice recorder was found nearly a week later from the debris of the crashed site. It will be sent to France along with the black box for decoding and analysis. This report will be long and time consuming but we hope that it will ascertain the true facts. The prime minister had a courageous step that should be welcomed.