Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has taken disciplinary action against its Deputy Station Manager in Birmingham following an investigation that uncovered inconsistencies in his educational credentials, according to ARY News. Javed Iqbal Bajwa, the Deputy Station Manager, was found to have submitted a forged intermediate certificate. This revelation came after PIA verified his educational documents with the relevant authorities, leading the airline to issue a show-cause notice to Bajwa. He has been given seven days to submit a written explanation and proof of the authenticity of his certificate. “Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action,” the show-cause notice added.
Meanwhile, the privatisation of PIA is nearing completion, as reported by the National Assembly’s standing committee on aviation on July 6. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) manages 22 of the country’s 43 airports, including 13 international ones. The CAA has faced budgetary limitations for years, leading to the use of outdated second-generation equipment, while advanced countries have adopted the latest third-generation technology.
The National Assembly’s aviation committee has advocated for enhancements in the country’s aviation industry, emphasising the need for improved food services and more courteous staff interactions with passengers. Additionally, the Pakistan Meteorological Department is poised to upgrade its weather monitoring infrastructure. This includes the installation of five new radars in Quetta, Dera Ismail Khan, Cherat, Gwadar, and Lahore, along with three mobile radars and 300 automatic weather stations, funded by the World Bank.