APROPOS the news report ‘Heedless pilots. ATC blamed for PIA crash’ (June 25). The recent revelation about the fake licence holders in the national airline is distressing and has plunged the country in a situation that is both horrifying and alarming.

One feels the timing and the forum were inappropriate for the aviation minister to make such a disclosure public. Since this information was available with the authorities, why did the minister wait for a crash to divulge these facts?

Was all this washing of one’s dirty linen in public done without realising the repercussions or was it a deliberate attempt to discredit past governments?

Furthermore, how can the Civil Aviation Authority be absolved of wrong doing? Are they not responsible for issuing the dubious licences? Are they not supposed to verify a pilot’s profile when the licence comes up for renewal after every six months?

So why give an impression that the previous governments were responsible for inducting unqualified pilots? Weeding could have been done during the last two years by the present government. Whatever happens now, the damage to the national airline has been inflicted and its reputation badly tarnished.

Meanwhile, the nation is faced with an embarrassing predicament. All over the world, Pakistani pilots and other crew engaged on foreign airlines are being grounded. All this could have been avoided had those in power shown some maturity and not been hell-bent on mudslinging their predecessors.

Name withheld on request
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2020