ISLAMABAD: A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) issued on Tuesday directive for removal of the name of Farooq Bhoja, the Director of Bhoja Airlines from the Exit Control List (ECL).

Convener of PAC’s sub-committee Mian Abdul Manan issued the order while examining audit para related to an outstanding amount of Rs0.5 million towards the company.

Aviation Division Secretary Mohammad Ali Gardezi pointed out that in addition to the recovery of the outstanding amount Mr Bhoja is facing another case related to an air crash on April 20, 2012, in which 127 passengers, including crew members, died.

Read: All 127 on board Islamabad-bound plane perish

Prior to the start of the meeting of the committee, sources confided to Dawn that Bhoja authorities had approached the committee, Aviation Division, and auditors for the removal of Mr Bhoja’s name from the ECL.

“He (Mr Bhoja) is willing to pay this amount and I think we should settle this para with the direction to remove his name from the ECL,” he further said, adding that “this is our final decision”.

Mr Gardezi, however, said that Mr Bhoja was also facing a case related to the air crash.

He informed the committee that the inquiry report in this air crash had been verified by the commission constituted to probe the crash by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

As per report, the pilot of the ill-fated plane was responsible for the crash, Mr Gardezi said. He said that an early warning for bad weather was issued to the pilot which he had ignored. \

Also read: Badly-trained crew blamed for Bhoja Air crash

He put the plane on ‘auto-pilot’ mode and despite a sudden drop of 2000 feet due to air pressure he did not take control of the plane and let it on auto.

During that time, the co-pilot insisted the pilot to “turn around” but his plea was ignored, he further said. According to him, the pilot was quite experienced but due to overconfidence he did not take extra measures to save the plane which finally crashed.

Mr Gardezi suggested to the committee that since the name of Mr Bhoja was placed on the ECL for non-recovery of the outstanding amount, his name could be deleted in this case only, adding that the name may be finally removed from the ECL if he was not required in any other case.

The Bhoja Airlines started its operation in 1993 and was suspended in 2000 due to financial constraints.

In October 2011, majority shares of the airlines company were transferred to a group of aviation professionals.

The share holders invested heavy amount of money in the Bhoja Airlines, arranged and obtained aircraft on lease and fulfilled safety and all other requirements stipulated by the CAA.

After completion of all operational, security, safety requirements, the company operated its inaugural flight from Karachi to Lahore and back on March 3, 2012. In April, the ill-fated flight of the airline crashed while carrying 127 people from Karachi.

After the meeting of the sub-committee of the PAC, when this reporter asked the convener of the committee whether someone from the airlines had approached him or not? He replied “they are willing to pay the outstanding amount, adding that the National Accountability Bureau also set free the accused after the payment of certain amount of money and why shouldn’t PAC adopt such practice”?

“It is our responsibility to bring the money back in the national exchequer and, therefore, I have issued the directive,” Mr Manan said.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2015

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