KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has initiated a departmental inquiry against an employee, who is the brother of a former army chief, over a “bogus” degree and warned him of termination if he fails to prove his credentials as valid, an airline spokesperson said.
Javed Iqbal Bajwa, the brother of former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa, is a PIA deputy station manager in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
A PIA official stated that Bajwa is the brother of former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired in November 2022 after completing a six-year tenure as head of Pakistan’s all-powerful army.
In a show-cause notice issued on July 30, PIA asked Bajwa to explain why his high school certificate, bearing the roll number 25703, had been declared “bogus” by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lahore, after the airline authorities sent the documents for verification.
The airline has given Bajwa seven days to respond and explain why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him.
“Departmental action is being taken against Javed Iqbal Bajwa,” Abdullah Khan, a PIA spokesperson, said while talking to media personnel, adding, “If his degree is found to be fraudulent, he will face disciplinary measures, including potential termination of employment.”
The airline noted that sharing false information about one’s name, age, educational, or professional qualifications at the time of joining the service or during the service constituted “misconduct” under the PIA Employees Disciplinary Policy.
It is worth mentioning that despite being marred by financial crises, PIA suffered a major setback when a fake pilot license scandal emerged in June 2020, prompting the airline to ground a third of its 434 pilots on suspicion that they hold “dubious” licenses and flying certificates, unleashing concern from international safety and transport bodies.
The recent revelation of Bajwa’s fake degree comes as another blow to the loss-making airline, which the government is struggling to privatize this year.
Read more: ‘PTI Paid Heavy Interest on IMF Loans, PPP Remains Top Borrower Followed by PML-N’
