The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has initiated departmental action against an employee, Javed Iqbal Bajwa, who is reportedly brother of former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa.
The action is in response to a “bogus” degree, with a warning of termination if he fails to prove the validity of his credentials, according to an airline spokesperson on Sunday.
Javed Iqbal Bajwa is currently serving as a PIA deputy station manager in Birmingham, United Kingdom. According to Arab News Pakistan, Javed is the brother of General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired in November 2022 after a six-year tenure as head of Pakistan’s influential army.
A show-cause notice issued on July 30 stated that Bajwa’s high school certificate, bearing the roll number 25703, had been declared “bogus” by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lahore.
This declaration came after the airline authorities sent the documents for verification. PIA has given Bajwa seven days to respond and explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him.
“Departmental action is being taken against Javed Iqbal Bajwa,” said PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan. “If his degree is found to be fraudulent, he will face disciplinary measures, including potential termination of employment.”
The airline emphasized that providing false information about one’s name, age, educational, or professional qualifications at the time of joining or during service constitutes “misconduct” under the PIA Employees Disciplinary Policy.
Bajwa has not yet commented on the situation.
This incident is another setback for PIA, which has been struggling with financial crises. The airline faced a major scandal in June 2020, when a fake pilot license issue led to the grounding of a third of its 434 pilots over suspicions that they held “dubious” licenses and flying certificates. This revelation caused concern among international safety and transport bodies.
The recent news of Bajwa’s fake degree adds to the challenges faced by the struggling airline, which the government is attempting to privatize this year.
