Karachi, The Senate Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges, under the chairmanship of Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizinjo, met today at the Parliament House to deliberate on several key issues, including a Privilege Motion against the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority (DGCAA).

According to Senate of Pakistan, the committee addressed the Privilege Motion filed by Senators Saleem Mandviwalla, Faisal Saleem Rehman, and Syed Sabir Shah. The motion stemmed from alleged false assurances by the DGCAA regarding the cancellation of licenses of PIA pilots. The Adviser to the PM on Aviation, Secretary Aviation, and the DGCAA informed the committee that, under current rules, a cancelled license is revoked for life. To restore such licenses, a rules amendment is necessary, which falls under the Cabinet’s jurisdiction.

The Movers of the motion expressed concern over the perceived malafide intent of the CAA, which allegedly misled the then Minister, resulting in a statement in Parliament that adversely affected the careers of pilots and the reputation of PIA. They demanded that action be recommended against the DGCAA.

The Adviser and Secretary Aviation requested 60 days to initiate the rule amendment process in alignment with international practices. However, the Committee members unanimously agreed to grant only 15 days for the submission of a detailed report with a proposed way forward.

Additionally, the committee discussed another Privilege Motion involving a report by Neo News TV Channel against Senators Mehar Taj, Rubina Khalid, and Dr. Zarqa. The Bureau Chief of the channel presented an unconditional apology and assured that a rebuttal would be broadcast in the same manner. The Committee directed the channel to issue the rebuttal and share the clipping with them, after which the motion was disposed of.

The meeting saw participation from Senators Professor Sajid Mir, Irfan-Ul-Haque Siddiqui, Syed Ali Zafar, Saleem Mandiwalla, Professor Dr. Mehar Taj Roghani, Dr. Humayun Khan Mohmand, and Senator Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah. Caretaker Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi, along with other senior officials, was also present.