CJP summons all airlines' CEOs, including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, on May 12

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar has summoned the chief executive officers (CEO) of all airlines of the country to the apex court's Karachi Registry on Saturday. 

The chief justice gave the directions while heading a three-member bench hearing the suo motu case related to fake degrees of airline employees.

When a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) director informed the court that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also owns Air Blue, the chief justice remarked that they can call him in his private capacity and not as the prime minister.

The court observed that the complete data from all airlines has still not been submitted to the court, adding that the CEOs should explain this, at the next hearing. 

Responding to the court's query, the CAA official said that only the state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Shaheen Airlines have provided the required data.

When asked by the chief justice about the total numberof airlines in the country, the official said there are four airlines in the country at present.

The CAA director added that the court had ordered to verify the data of 1,972 employees of PIA, whereas up till now the data of 225 staffers has been received of which 108's degrees have been verified.

Moreover, the court was informed that 24 pilots' degrees have been discovered to be fake. 

Suo motu on lawyers' degrees 

Addressing senior counsel Hamid Khan, the chief justice remarked that Khan should also see how many lawyers have fake degrees.

Khan answered in the affirmative when asked if lawyers’ degrees should be verified.

"You can direct the bar associations to furnish these details," he added.

The chief justice responded that Khan should submit a request in this regard so they can hear the case free from a suo motu, adding that it must be done today.

However, the court later took suo motu on the issue and directed all bar councils across the country to furnish a response in a month. 

The chief justice also directed the Higher Education Commission to provide assistance in this regard.