Daily Times

KARACHI: While hearing a case pertaining to pilots possessing fake degrees, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar on Saturday clarified that the Supreme Court had not in fact summoned Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as a representative of the private airline Airblue.

Reports had earlier emerged that the CJP had summoned PM Abbasi as the chief executive of Airblue, a claim the PM office denied as well.

The CJP also clarified this while hearing the case at the SC’s Karachi registry, and said that the court would initiate contempt of court proceedings against Airblue Managing Director (MD) Junaid Khan if the company did not verify the degrees of its pilots.

Justice Nisar also ordered the MD to deposite Rs. 50,000 at the Fatimid Foundation as a penalty for the company’s inability to verify the degrees.

The MD also informed the court that Airblue currently had 101 pilots on its payroll, while its total staff numbered 251.

CEO Pakistan Internatioanl Airlines (PIA) Musharraf Rasool was also present at the hearing. The CJP castigated the CEO over the company’s failure to pay the salaries of its lower staff, and remarked that the higher ups of the company would not mind if their salaries were withheld because they earned millions.

The lower staff, on the other hand, suffered a tremendous burden when their salaries were withheld.

The CEO highlighted that PIA currently had 498 pilots, 369 of whom, had verified their degrees.

39 pilots, on the other hand, have taken a stay order against the decision to verify degrees, Mr Rasool added.

The CJP ordered Rasool to submit a report on the issue by 4 pm today, and also asked him to give Fatimid Foundation Rs. 50,000.

Justice Nisar also reprimanded Shaheen Air International CEO Ehsan Sehbai for his failure to verify degrees, and asked him to deposit Rs, 100,000 with the Fatimid Foundation.

The CJP also asked to see the file for the case that is currently ongoing in the Karachi High Court pertaining to the the killings that occurred on 12th May, 2007.

The Chief Justice also recited Fatiha for those who lost their lives in the violence 11 years ago.