SHC seeks ATR crash inquiry report in six weeks

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday directed the Aviation Division to submit its final inquiry report about the PIA’s ATR crash incident at Hawalian in December 2016, within six weeks.

Hearing a petition seeking a judicial inquiry into the December 2016 flight PK-661 crash inquiry in which 42 passengers, including singer-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed and the crew lost their lives, the SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, questioned the federal law officer about the time period for the completion of the final inquiry report. The court observed as to why the final report of the ATR plane crash has not yet been concluded by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board.

The federal law officer submitted the statement along with the copy of PIA’s letter communicating reasons for the delay. The counsel sought further 45 day period for the completion of the report.

The court allowed the plea while directing the federal law officer to submit the final report from Aircraft Accident Investigation Board within that period and adjourned the hearing till October 15. The court observed that if no proper response is submitted by the next hearing, then the court will be constrained to issue notices to secretary aviation for his personal appearance and direct him to explain the reasons of the delay.

Referring to the ATR crash, the petitioner, Syed Iqbal Kazmi, told the court that the DG CAA had made startling disclosures about the functioning of ATR planes in his letters to his seniors.

He said that 20 incidents were recorded where the engines of ATR planes had stopped during flights. Besides, in 90 cases the engines of the ATR planes were removed as well. He said that despite knowledge of defects in the aircraft, the respondents did not take precautionary measures to avoid accidents and save previous lives.

He argued that after such incidents, it was the constitutional obligation of the Cabinet Division secretary, the CAA DG and the PIA chairman to refrain from purchasing outdated planes, using them and risking the lives of passengers and crew members.

He pleaded for a judicial inquiry into the crash to fix responsibility and prosecute those responsible while ordering compensation to the legal heirs.Kazmi requested the SHC to direct the respondents to ground all the planes currently being used by the PIA and to order their inspection by the CAA or any other independent investigating agency or department.