Two Pakistani pilots work for years at Pakistan International Airlines with fake degrees

Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) announced on Tuesday that two pilots who served Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the national flag carrier, for years were found to have used fake degrees. Kashan Aijaz Dodhy, hired in 1995, and Mohsin Ali, who joined in 2006, were booked in 2022 following an audit revealing that numerous PIA employees had secured their positions through fraudulent qualifications.

The FIA investigation confirmed that both pilots had falsified their academic credentials. Dodhy and Ali had already left PIA, resigning in 2019 and 2014, respectively.

A case was brought against the two pilots, air hostess Nazia Naheed, and data operator Arif Tarar for obtaining employment and promotions at PIA using fake degrees. On Monday, all four confessed to their crimes before the FIA’s special court.


Judge Tanveer Ahmad Sheikh sentenced them to imprisonment "till the rising of the court" and imposed varying fines.

This scandal follows a controversial statement in 2020 by then-Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who disclosed that many Pakistani pilots held "dubious licenses," leading to international embarrassment. He alleged that between 2008 and 2018, 658 PIA employees, including pilots and engineers, were recruited under the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) governments using fake degrees and questionable credentials.

The minister’s disclosure prompted scrutiny from global aviation authorities. Several international airlines grounded Pakistani pilots, and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and UK authorities suspended PIA flights to Europe, severely impacting the airline's operations and reputation.