Those responsible for last six air crash incidents to be held accountable: minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan on Wednesday said that those responsible for the six air crash accidents that took place in the recent past in Pakistan would be held accountable following completion of inquiries.
He said this while addressing the National Assembly in Islamabad. Talking about the most recent plane crash incident, he said 16 houses were badly damaged in the plane crash incident. He said one million rupees were given to each families of each dead victim. While, 16 families, out of the 97 people died in the incident, refused to take the compensation money, he added.
Ghulam Sarwar said two girls residing in one of the houses were critically burnt and they were also compensated. Identification of the deceased was a very painful process, he said.
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“The main thing is investigation. Six air accidents, including Bhoja Air Line, Chitral airplane, Air Blue, have taken place in the near past but exact inquiry could not be brought forth,” he said. He cited example of Emirates and Turkish Airlines with more than 250 destinations around the globe and no accident.
“Insha Allah free fair and transparent inquiry would be held and inquiry report would be presented before the parliament on June 22,” he said.
The aviation minister said complete inquiry report of other air accidents would also be presented before the house on the same day. He blamed the previous governments for appointments in the national flag carrier company on the basis of favouritism and fake degrees.
A report issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on June 2 had revealed that pilot of the ill-fated plane, which crashed in Karachi on May 22, had violated the code of conducts.
Inquiry is still underway to find cause of the PIA’s plane, A-320, crash incident in Model Colony, which left 97 people dead including 26 women, 68 men and three children.
The report of the CAA had blamed that the pilot of PIA-8303 did not comply with the instructions of the air traffic controller.