ISLAMABAD, July 12: A petition filed on Wednesday prayed the Supreme Court to order grounding of PIA’s ageing aircrafts.

The petitioner, Awami Himayat Tehrik chairman Maulvi Iqbal Haider, pleaded before the court that to prevent tragedies like the Multan crash, Fokker F-27, Airbus and Boeing aeroplanes, which had attained their operational age but were being used by the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation should be grounded forthwith.

He also requested the court to declare that the Multan crash was the result of negligence by the federal government, PIAC chairman, PIA’s Multan station manager and the Civil Aviation Authority director general. The chairman of the Pilot Welfare Association is also a respondent.

The petitioner said a bench of three Supreme Court judges should investigate the Multan crash.

He said family members of the victims should be paid Rs2 million each as compensation and officials whose negligence led to the crash should be proceeded under the Pakistan Penal Code.

The petitioner said that under the law, passengers should be insured before flying but PIA’s insurance policy was vague because there was no mention of any insurance protection in terms and conditions of tickets issued by the airline.