Eyes on New York in garb of PIA privatisation: CJP

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought details of cases pertaining to fake degrees of employees working in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

During the hearing of a case pertaining to losses in the PIA, Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed said that pilots having fake degrees are flying planes. He said the news of PIA privatisation is a ‘joke’ with this prestigious national department. He said the real target was New York, not the privatisation of PIA.

The top judge said that 700 employees work on one aircraft in PIA. He further directed the attorney general to review the audit report and assist the court in the next hearing. Previously, the SC had ordered verification of PIA employees’ degrees after the plaintiff claimed that the officials had received their academic degrees without even going to the private university in Azad Kashmir.

Earlier, the PIA had sacked 50 cabin crew members and three pilots for holding fake degrees. The spokesperson for the airlines said that the action was taken on the instructions of the Supreme Court.

An interim report was submitted to the bench by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The top court had also directed the authorities concerned to complete the process of degree verification and submit the final report on the matter.