Federal government enacts Pakistan Air Safety Investigation Act 2023, court informed
The federal government has introduced the Pakistan Air Safety Investigation Act 2023, establishing an independent bureau for aircraft accident investigations. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) that this act aims to ensure impartial probes into aircraft accidents by separating the roles of regulator, service providers, and investigators to eliminate any potential conflict of interest.
This update was shared in a progress
report submitted during a hearing on a petition seeking a judicial review of
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) following the crash of flight PK-8303 in
Malir on May 22, 2020, which resulted in significant loss of life. The petition
alleged that PIA and the CAA had failed to provide a safe environment for air
travel.
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The CAA's report detailed measures
taken to address issues such as the fraudulent issuance of pilot licenses. It
confirmed that legal proceedings had been initiated against officials involved,
with criminal cases pending in court. The CAA has also enhanced license
verification processes through biometrics and the installation of surveillance
cameras in examination halls. Moreover, flight crew license exams have been
outsourced to the UK CAA to ensure transparency.
In response to safety
recommendations from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board, the CAA stated
that several safety measures had been implemented. Additionally, updates on
compensation to the legal heirs of PK-8303 victims were regularly provided. Of the
74 passengers, compensation has been delivered to the legal heirs, with some
cases still pending court adjudication.
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The SHC division bench, led by Chief
Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui, accepted the report and adjourned the hearing.
The Public Interest Law Association
of Pakistan (Pilap), representing the petitioners, accused PIA and the CAA of
corruption and mismanagement, claiming these had severely damaged Pakistan's
aviation industry. They argued that citizens' right to safe and efficient air
travel had been compromised. The petition highlighted the dire financial
situation of many PK-8303 victims' families and called for a judicial review of
PIA's and CAA's actions.
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Pilap also sought the establishment
of a judicial commission to investigate PIA's operations and requested that
reports of all PIA accidents, including PK-8303, be submitted to the court.
Additionally, the petitioners challenged the Rs5 million compensation cap under
the Carriage by Air Act 2012, calling it discriminatory and requesting a
revision in line with the Montreal Convention of 1999.
Source: The
News