The federal cabinet has ordered an inquiry against former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan for his statement in 2020 regarding dubious pilot licenses, which resulted in severe financial losses for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and led to flight bans from key destinations, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
The controversy arose after the crash of PIA flight PK-8303 in Karachi on May 22, 2020. In its aftermath, Khan, then serving as aviation minister in the Imran Khan-led government, announced the suspension of 262 pilots, alleging they had obtained licenses through fraudulent means. During a session in parliament, Ghulam Sarwar Khan claimed that 150 PIA pilots were flying with questionable credentials.
The statement triggered international concerns over flight safety in Pakistan, leading to restrictions on PIA’s operations in several countries.
During the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, officials described Khan’s remarks as “irresponsible and speculative,” stating that they not only damaged PIA’s reputation but also inflicted substantial financial losses on the national exchequer.
In response, the cabinet constituted a fact-finding committee to determine the extent of economic damage caused by the incident and recommend measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Alongside this decision, the cabinet also approved the Off-the-Grid Captive Power Plants Levy Ordinance, 2025, based on recommendations from the Petroleum Division.
Additionally, it endorsed an agreement between Pakistan and the European Union regarding tariff rate quotas, as proposed by the Ministry of Commerce.
Another decision included the reorganization of Accountability Court-III in Islamabad, converting it into Special Court (CNS-III), following recommendations from the Islamabad High Court and the Ministry of Law and Justice.
The cabinet also assigned Rear Admiral Habib ur Rehman as acting chairman of the Karachi Port Trust for a maximum period of two months, directing authorities to expedite the appointment of a permanent chairman.
To address concerns over limited educational opportunities for Islamabad residents, the cabinet approved a 25 percent reduction in the provincial quota for admissions to federally administered medical and dental colleges. Officials cited the historically low number of seats available to Islamabad-based students in provincial institutions as the reason for this adjustment.
Lastly, the cabinet ratified decisions made during the January 17 meeting of the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises, reinforcing its broader agenda of governance reforms and efficiency improvements.
