LAHORE, DEC 28 (DNA) – A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) report on Friday revealed that at least five pilots of Pakistan International Airline (PIA) do not even hold a matriculation certificate.

According to details, a case pertaining to fake degrees of PIA pilots was heard by a Supreme Court bench under the stewardship of Chief Justice Main Saqib Nisar at the Lahore registry of the apex court.

A report was submitted by the CAA to the court, which highlighted that degrees of seven pilots were found to be bogus, while five pilots had not even passed matriculation examination.

Appalled by the CAA’s report, the top judge scornfully said that people’s lives were put at stake. “A person with a qualification less than matric is not even authorized to drive a bus, here planes are being flown by pilots who are not even matric pass,” Justice Ijaz Ahsan remarked.

The representative of PIA informed the bench that the administration of the national flag carrier has sacked 50 pilots who failed to provide their academic records.

The Supreme Court ordered the concerned authorities to complete the process of degree verification and submit a finalized report on the matter within today.

PIA was further allowed to appoint pilots on contractual basis, meanwhile the top court asked for entire details of pilots’ licenses.