Summary Asmat Mehmood had endangered lives of 120 people aboard the aircraft: Lawyer CAA
LAHORE (Dunya News) -- Anti terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday handed over Shaheen Air’s pilot Asmat Mehmood to police on a seven-days physical remand. The police presented the pilot before ATC Judge Khawaja Zafar Iqbal in strict security, reported Dunya News.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) lawyer told the court that Asmat Mehmood had endangered lives of 120 people aboard the aircraft. He said that the pilot was drunk and his negligence could have resulted in severe causalities. He pleaded the court to hand over the drunkard pilot to police for investigation.
On the other hand, Mehmood’s lawyer denied the charges and argued that Asmat Mehmood was not drunk. The court after hearing arguments of both parties, dismissed the arguments of pilot’s lawyer and handed over the accused pilot to police on a seven-day physical remand.
Also read: Shaheen Air pilot to be presented before inquiry team today
Captain Asmat Mehmood, the pilot who crash-landed a Shaheen Air flight in Lahore, will be presented before the inquiry team today (Monday).
He was arrested by Punjab police in Karachi a day before and was later shifted to Lahore.
After registering a case against the pilot in Sarwar road police station, officials arrested him from his residence in Karachi.
Police sealed the FIR after booking him under the provisions of attempt to murder, alcoholism and carelessness.
The aircraft was carrying 121 passengers and crew out of which 10 sustained injuries as the plane crash-landed on the airport.
Earlier, drunken pilot was found to be the reason of a crash landing of Shaheen Airlines aircraft as revealed by a medical report after which Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced ‘medical raids’ at airports countrywide.
According to the report presented in the aftermath of haphazard landing on November 3, it was revealed that pilot was responsible for the dangerous landing. However in the medical report it was discovered that the pilot was drunk and had 83% alcohol with lack of sleep the previous night.
CAA has stated that it will conduct medical checkups on cabin crew in addition to pilot crew whereas aviation’s airport doctors will also be able to conduct medical checkups.
