Deceased pilot Sajjad Gul's father says he has 'not an ounce of faith' in PIA's crash inquiry

The father of PIA pilot Captain Sajjad Gul has said he does not have "an ounce of faith" in the airline's inquiry into the tragic plane crash which left 97 dead — including his son.

Addressing a media briefing on Monday alongside Governor Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Gul Muhammad Bhatti said it "pains him to say that the PIA's top hierarchy itself is leaking bits of the inquiry report and blaming people left and right for negligence".

He said that they (PIA) are "not trustworthy people" and are "not fit to conduct an inquiry".

"Those people are not professional and are not good people.

"Just one day prior you called him a national hero.

"He has logged in 17,000 hours. He is the only pilot to have completed 1,000 hours in a year [...] he is a thorough professional," said the aggrieved father.

Bhatti said that he has faith, however, in the assurances given by the governor who has said he "stands with him" and in the prime minister.

He said no remarks must be made until the black box's contents come forward and he will comment "if justice is not done".

Sarwar promises 'neutral' inquiry

"I have known the family for a long time [...] Sajjad Gul was a skilled man who worked with honesty," said Sarwar, in his briefing to the media.

The governor said the deceased pilot would also lend a helping hand to those in need even with limited resources.

Sarwar promised that the inquiry will be "neutral" and no one will be spared the consequences they must pay.

The governor lauded the father for his patience at this difficult time. He said the family is going through a tough time. Three of Gul's brothers are in Glasgow and could not be there for the funeral due to the coronavirus.

He said the father has been assured that the inquiry will be personally overseen by the prime minister.

Sarwar said that the family has demanded that justice be carried out and the truth be given to the people.

He acknowledged that the late captain's death along with the deaths of the others demands that justice be served.

He requested the media to refrain from speculating and not comment on the pilot's actions until the black box's contents are extracted.

Aviation minister promises 'transparent' inquiry

A day prior, aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had promised a transparent inquiry within three months.

The minister said he and PIA CEO Arshad Malik are ready to present themselves for accountability if the inquiry team found the aviation ministry responsible for the incident.

The inquiry board had started its work, he said, adding: “team of experts from Airbus, Germany and France will also join the probe.” “We will try to complete it [probe] within three months,” said the minister.

The day of the crash, the government had formed a probe team headed by Air Commodore Muhammad Usman Ghani, President of the Aircraft Accident and Investigation Board. He will be assisted by Wing Commander Malik Muhammad Imran, Additional Director of Technical Investigation; Group Captain Touqeer, Ops Investigator, Pakistan Air Force Safety Board, Kamra; and Mr Nasir Majeed, Joint Director of ATC Ops, AAIB.