5 Pak aviation officers held for issuing fake licences

Five officers of the Pakistan Aviation Authority have been arrested for issuing fake licenses to 40 pilots in Sindh.

Munir Sheikh, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director, was quoted as saying by Samaa TV that a written complaint was sent to the agency saying fake Commercial Pilot and Air Transport Pilot licenses were being issued.

According to the complaint, the pilots were appointed on the basis of "fake pilot license exams" conducted on holidays, weekends and even after office hours.

Cases have been registered against 49 people, including 40 pilots and eight officials of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Samaa TV reported.

Last year, CNN had quoted Pakistan Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan as saying that as many as 262 pilots in Pakistan were holding fake licences as they never appeared for exams personally.

The statement was part of the results of the investigation done on the plane crash in Karachi. Ninety-seven persons had died in the incident.

( With inputs from ANI )