Pakistan Supreme Court summons PM in case of pilots' fake degrees

Pakistan Supreme Court today ordered Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and heads of all Pakistani airlines to appear for the next hearing of a case pertaining to fake degrees of pilots.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar asked Abbasi to appear as former CEO of an airline along with other heads of all Pakistani airlines.

"Isn't it a matter of clash of interests?" asked the chief justice when told that the prime minister is also the head of Airblue airlines. "Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will have to appear in the capacity of a chief executive officer and not a premier."

The chief justice, who was heading a three-member bench, said that he was issuing notices to heads of all Pakistani airlines as the matter has been pending for the last four months and reports in this regard have not been submitted as yet. 

Those who have been summoned include the heads of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Airblue Limited, Serene Air and Shaheen Air International.

The chief executive officers of the airlines were directed to appear in person at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Karachi Registry on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Authority Director Nasir Ali Shah told the court that degrees of 1,972 people working with airlines were verified while 24 pilots were found to be holding fake degrees.

During the hearing, Civil Aviation Authority Director Nasir Ali Shah told the court that the authority has received the reports on pilots' degrees from Shaheen International Airline and Serene Air today in Karachi, while the report of Airblue was received yesterday.