Pakistan opens criminal probes into 50 pilots, 5 civil aviation officials: sources

Pakistan has opened criminal investigations into 50 pilots and at least five civil aviation officials who allegedly helped them falsify credentials to secure licences, according to two senior government sources and cabinet meeting minutes. The probes comes roughly three months after Pakistan grounded dozens of pilots over allegedly dubious qualifications. At the time, the civil aviation regulator said it would conduct a detailed investigation into the scandal. On the government’s orders, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched criminal probes into the matter, according to minutes from Tuesday’s cabinet meeting and the sources, who declined to be named because the discussions are private. A show-cause notice served to one of the pilots said the FIA was investigating “alleged corruption, violations, malpractices in (the) issuance of flight crew licences.” Munir Ahmed Shaikh, a senior FIA official, confirmed that a probe into the matter was ongoing, but declined to comment any further. The ministry submitted the findings of its inquiry to the cabinet chaired by PM Imran Khan on Tuesday, said the sources, adding that another 32 pilots have separately been suspended for a year. “The cabinet was told that FIA has opened proceedings into the pilots whose licences were revoked, and the civil aviation officials who connived with them,” said the minutes.<br/>