RAWALPINDI: The Aviation Division has referred the cases against five officials of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), who had been suspended for their alleged involvement in issuing dubious pilot licences, to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to identify the information technology experts involved in the examination scam.

According to sources, the Aviation Division has written to the FIA director general, seeking the latter’s help to identify the CAA’s licencing branch officials and IT experts allegedly involved in helping some pilots appear in exam though proxies.

They said the FIA had also been asked to identify IT experts and other people related to networking, if they had been involved in pilots’ dubious exam so that criminal proceedings could be initiated against them.

An aviation division’s team is likely to have a session with the FIA experts to review the cases of the CAA officials, who had already been suspended and served show-cause notices over their alleged involvement in issuing dubious licences to the pilots.

The move by the aviation division came after the Supreme Court ordered CAA Director General Hassan Nasir Jamy, who is also the aviation division secretary, to take departmental action against the CAA officials on the issue of dubious licences.

The officials concerned have already been placed under suspension

Following the Supreme Court’s orders, the CAA has decided to opt for zero tolerance policy against anyone who was found involved in the pilots’ exam scandal. “Even those who had appeared in the exam on pilots’ rest day or hacked the examination system will not be spared,” said a CAA official, adding that those who had been on flying duty and had appeared in the exam on the same day would also be brought to book.

The Supreme Court had also directed the CAA director general to show results by clearing the mess within 15 days. “Spare no one and remove all delinquents even if the CAA chief has to build the organisation afresh,” it said.

On the other hand, a five-member committee was constituted by the aviation division to investigate the cases of pilots who had been suspended in connection with the dubious licences scandal. The committee is to submit its report on Thursday (today).

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2020