ISLAMABAD: The national carrier Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has recruited a fake domicile holding cadet pilot, Farhan Farrukh Waseem, in violation of the provincial quota, as per documents available with Pakistan Today.
PIA, which is already in hot water for corruption and irregularities, has recruited a nonresident of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) as a cadet pilot on regional quota, thus depriving an actually qualified candidate of the area.
Interestingly the recruitment process has been completed despite a letter from the GB chief minister (CM) Hafeezur Rehman and GB speaker legislative assembly Haji Fida Nashad declaring that the recruited man is a non-resident of GB while requesting to adjust the deserving and only candidate from the GB region, Azhar Abbas.
Azhar, who secured 70 marks in the written test and qualified for an interview, was rejected after an applicant from Rawalpindi was recruited on the basis of a fake GB domicile.
In a letter sent to PIA officials, Azhar says, “I am currently working as a Senior Technician in PIA engineering department since August 1, 2016. Against an external advertisement for cadet pilot, I applied for the vacancy as I met all the job specifications and qualifications. In the written test I obtained 75 per cent marks and was interviewed too, however, I was ignored when the decision for the position had to be made, despite the fact I have a domicile of GB. I understand that an external candidate against GB/FATA quota has been selected. I have been deprived of my rights being an internal candidate and a resident of GB. Since 2009, nobody from our region has been selected as a cadet pilot. If the quota of a province is not utilised fully or partially, the unutilised quota is carried forward as per PIAC policy, but in this case actions were taken against policy.”
“As a result, despite being an internal candidate and having passed the test I have been ignored. The adjustment of GB/FATA quota is kindly requested to utilise the remainder vacancy of GB/FATA so, that I am re-designated for the position,” the letter concludes.
Apart from his own letter and requests made through various sources, CM Hafeezur Rehman and speaker Haji Fida Nashad had also written to PIA’s chairman and HR director, requesting to resolve the issue. When all went in vain, Azhar filed a petition in the GB Supreme Appellate Court and a stay order was issued by the court. However, even that did not make PIA refrain from making the illegal recruitment of a forged domicile holder.
In his letter, Haji Fida Nashad said, “It has been brought to my notice that a number of candidates from different areas have managed to get fake domicile certificates and are getting or trying to get seats against the reserved quota for Gilgit Baltistan, in the national carrier. In the interests of merit and fair play, such people are required to be discouraged by making verification of their testimonials before any induction, in order to safeguard the rights of the real candidate of our area. It would, therefore, be appropriate if proper verification of the domicile and other academic documents of the candidate appearing in the interview for Cadet Pilot during the first week of March 2017 is ensured before issuing appointment orders to meet the ends of justice.”
CM Hafeezur Rehman, in his letter to Sardar Mehtab Abbasi adviser to the prime minister on civil aviation/PIAC chairman on June 13, 2017, referring to the complaint, had also requested the chairman to safeguard the rights of Azhar Abbas.
