ISLAMABAD: judge Gulzar Ahmed on Thursday observed that unqualified pilots flying a plane, with passengers, on a fake license is sort of a propelling a missile which will blow anytime and anywhere. The JCP expressed astonishment over the preliminary report within the plane crash, adding that it had been held that there was no technical fault.
While heading a five-member larger bench, hearing a suo moto case regarding combating the Covid-19 on Thursday, the JCP also took notice of the reports regarding pilots with fake degrees and faux licenses issued by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) flying planes in airlines, and summoned the chief military officer (CEO) of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) also because the relevant officials of the CAA on subsequent date of hearing.
The CJ noted concerned that commercial planes were allowed to be flown by pilots who have fake degrees and faux licenses. “It is that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which issued fake degrees and licenses to pilots,” the CJ remarked. The court summoned Director General DG Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to seem before it face to face on subsequent date of hearing and to elucidate on why the authority was issuing licenses to pilots and such were employed by the airlines in Pakistan, who are playing havoc with the lives of individuals and which may be a serious offense within the law.
The court directed the CAA to submit within a fortnight a comprehensive report through the Attorney General office. The court also summoned chief executive officers (CEOs) of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Air Blue et al. with detailed reports regarding pilots, their educational qualifications, and license verification by the CAA and other airlines.
The court raised questions over the preliminary report submitted by the govt regarding PIA flight PK8303 Airbus A320-214 that crashed near Karachi airport on May 22, 2020, killing 97 passengers on board. The CJ said that the worthy minister for aviation on the ground of the house held responsible the pilot of the plane also because the Civil Aviation Authority.
The court also expressed dissatisfaction with the report submitted by the National Disaster Management Authority with the observation that the NDMA was pocket money left and right. We don’t know on whether there's any mechanism available for monitoring the work of NDMA with particular regard to import of medicines,” the CJ remarked while Justice Ijazul Ahsen, another member of the bench, asked the attorney general on whether the medicines being imported were provided to the general public sector hospitals. The AG replied that these drugs were provided for the patients in critical condition, but not for prevention. The AG further submitted that the NDMA has been established under the National Disaster Management Act.
The court asked the AG on how NDMA is charting a plane of a personal company AL-Hafeez for airlifting equipment machinery from abroad for manufacturing N-95 masks. The AG, however, replied that the NDMA had only facilitated the corporate in importing the said machinery adding that the corporate had paid customs also as tax and therefore the government has nothing to try to to with it except facilitating the corporate. He added that the government is facilitating anybody willing to import the said machinery. “But you've got facilitated just one company and further did you advertise within the papers regarding the provision of support during this regard?,” the CJ asked the AG. The AG replied that the govt had convened a gathering were 28 companies came and asked for facilitation. “But you ought to have given a billboard during this regard to take care of transparency,” Justice Ijazul Ahsen asked the AG. “Whosoever is that the owner of the corporate may need become a billionaire,” the JCP remarked adding that the pandemic has turned the people billionaire overnight.
Our fate will definitely change if you're facilitating the people and not one person id left unemployed,” the CJ remarked, adding that there's unemployment and you're not facilitating people. “There must be assurances on your part to finish transparency is observed within the process and no-one is given any tax exemption by importing this machinery,” Justice Ijazul Ahsen asked AG. The judge asked the AG on whether there's any plan available with the govt for facilitating the Pakistanis returning to the country. Around 50 to at least one lakh people are returning thanks to the pandemic and the way you'll engage them. Many students are graduating from universities with high degrees and PhDs, what would you are doing with them,” the CJ asked adding that's there any business policy for the longer term and any vision and whether there's any consensus on the part of Parliament also.
“You are giving statements on TV but statements cannot feed the people and that they need health facilities, education clean beverage,” the CJ remarked. “Your prime minister is declaring a chief minister of a province a dictator; so how will you explain that there's no writ of the PM therein province,” the CJ asked. There are crises of sugar, wheat, and medical, but nobody is here to unravel problems being faced by people,” the CJ continued.
Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin, another member of the bench, asked the AG on whether the govt has any remedy to bring down the costs of medicine. Even Dettol isn't available within the market, asking the Advocate General Punjab, who was on video-link from Lahore on whether he can arrange one bottle of Dettol? Attorney General Khalid Javed, however, submitted before the court that the govt is making all-out efforts to require strict action against those persons liable for high prices of medicines by the law. the govt isn't getting to surrender before those firms and corporations,” the AG added.
During the hearing the CJ noticed with great concern that since the lockdown, there had been severe load-shedding, despite offices, educational institutions and other places remain closed thanks to the pandemic outbreak. When there's no load on the grid stations, then why there's load-shedding, the CJ asked, adding that during a country where you are doing not provide electricity, employment, education and adequate health facilities, how people can then abide by your orders.
The judge noted that in Raza Abad, a neighborhood of Faisalabad, sewage overflowed flooded whole of the town. Justice Qazi Amin, another member of the bench asked on whether there's any government or chief minister in Punjab? The CJ said that folks had great hopes; that’s why they brought a change, but they got nothing. “Now decide what to try to as we cannot tolerate further deprivation of individuals as they're entitled to possess all basic facilities as provided to them by the Constitution,” the CJ asked Attorney General. “Give us the plan because the pandemic goes on within the country,” the CJ continued. However, Attorney General Khalid Javed said that a draft for the legislation had been prepared as per the direction of the court.
During the hearing, the judge noted that the govt of Sindh had allocated within the budget Rs4 billion for importing luxury vehicles for the govt functionaries. “People haven't any money to shop for two-time food, while the provincial government was importing 40 double-cabin vehicles”, adding that every vehicle is worth one crore 68 lakh rupees,” the CJ said, adding that there was no money for giving salaries to the sanitary workers in Hyderabad, while billions of rupees were being spent for importing luxury vehicles for the govt functionaries. This money should be deposited with the Supreme Court and that we will decide the way to utilize it for the advantage of people,” the CJ remarked. During the hearing, the CJ asked Advocate Generals for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan also as Gilgit-Baltistan whether or not they allocated any money within the budget 2020-21 for import of luxury cars, to which they replied in negative.
Meanwhile, the court in its order noted that there was no justification for importing luxury vehicles by the Sindh government and to allocate Rs4 billion for such purpose and noted that the cash should be utilized for the provision of water, health, and medical facilities. The court restrained the Sindh government from importing the posh vehicles for the govt functionaries and therefore the allocation of such amount within the budget 2020-21.
The court also directed the National Disaster Management Authority to file a complete report within fortnight regarding the import of medicines and machinery through a corporation Al-Hafeez for manufacturing N-95 masks within the country. “We don't know the machinery imported by the said company through facilitation of state has paid any tax or customs or not, and whether the facilitation important of such machinery was openly advertised by providing a chance to other businessmen,” the CJ noted in his order, adding that an equivalent isn't done by the NDMA. It seems that the corporate was favored by the NDMA for import of machinery for manufacturing N-95 masks; therefore, the NDMA should provide details of the purchase of masks from this company and therefore the money to the corporate paid thus far besides details concerning the taxes, paid by the corporate should even be filed. Later, the court adjourned the hearing for 2 weeks.
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