Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (PEMRA) has served show-cause notices to several news channels for airing fake news about Pakistani pilots and engineers grounded by Kuwait Airways.
On the weekend, social media was abuzz with rumors that several international airlines, including Kuwait Airways, have stopped Pakistani pilots and engineering staff from working after the reports that Pakistan has suspended 262 pilots with suspicious licenses. Some leading Pakistani news channels also carried the story.
However, Kuwait Airways denied the reports saying that it does not employ any Pakistani pilot in its fleet. It mentioned that 13 Pakistani engineers are working for the airline, and all of them were appointed after a thorough investigation of their credentials.
— Report PEMRA (@reportpemra) June 29, 2020
Following the clarification, the media watchdog swung into action against several leading news channels, including ARY News, Dunya News, 24 News, Public TV, and GTV. The authority served them notices for airing false news without any editorial check/verification and sought response within fourteen days.
PIA Grounds 150 Pilots
Earlier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) grounded 150 pilots with dubious licenses. A report released by the aviation ministry said that a total of 262 pilots working with several local airlines had fake documents. These airlines include Airblue, Serene Air, ex-Shaheen Airlines, and some charter airlines.
