As per the local media reports, the Airport Security Force (ASF) at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport recently apprehended a man impersonating a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilot on Tuesday.
License to lie? Pakistan skies get tighter
The impostor, identified as Ahmed, attempted to enter the international departure area using a counterfeit PIA pilot ID card. He was promptly detained by the ASF and handed over to the Airport Police for further investigation. A case has been registered against him.
This incident raises concerns about a possible wider network involved in issuing fake pilot licenses. It follows the European Aviation Agency’s 2020 ban on Pakistani airlines due to a previous pilot’s license scandal.
According to sources, Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is currently investigating a network comprising aviation employees and pilots suspected of involvement in issuing fraudulent licenses. The investigation reportedly includes raids to apprehend two individuals linked to the scam.
Also read: Pakistan To Privatize Loss-Making National Carrier PIA & Outsource Airport Operations
Sources further allege that some aviation employees acted as intermediaries, collecting large sums of money in exchange for issuing licenses that allowed unqualified individuals to fly as pilots.
The CAA has reportedly taken some license branch officials and pilots into custody while expanding the investigation’s scope. Additional FIRs (First Information Reports) are also planned against those involved.
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