Pakistan’s closest ally in SE Asia ground Pak-origin pilots over fake licence scam

NEW DELHI: Malaysia, Pakistan’s closest ally in SE Asia and one of its close partners in OIC, has temporarily suspended pilots employed by its airlines who hold Pakistani licences, after Islamabad revealed that many pilots had dubious qualifications, according to media reports.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said in a statement on Thursday that the decision came after an evaluation of all foreign pilots in Malaysia. The regulator told Reuters that there are less than 20 Pakistani pilots in the country.

CAAM said the pilots were employed with “local operators”, such as flying schools, flying clubs and training organisations, according to the Reuters report.