The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Tuesday issued directives to initiate scrutiny of educational degrees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees and called Chairman HEC, MD PIA, and attorney general on the next hearing.

The Supreme Court divisional bench in chair of the Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the fake degree case of the national carrier while it ordered the authorities to submit a report after completing the verification process.

During the hearing, the lawyer of petitioner Muddasir Hussain Raza told the apex court that the employees have received educational degrees from a private university of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) without attending a single class.

The lawyer added the employees had also received departmental promotions on the basis of such degrees.

The top court's judge remarked that Al-Khair University is just an exhibitory varsity as degrees were sold out without completing educational procedures. It seems the degrees were illegally possessed by the PIA employees, whereas, the airline has also accepted the degrees from the private university without carrying out verification process, the judge added.

The administration of the national flag-carrier has been directed to ensure verification of educational degrees of its employees from the recognized institutions.

Later, the hearing was adjourned until one month after ordering the concerned authorities to complete scrutiny of the educational degrees of PIA employees.

© Pakistan Press International, source Asianet-Pakistan