Strengthening Pakistan’s Aviation Safet y

Where

Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous But to an even greater degree than the sea it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness incapacity or neglect Captain A G Lamplugh

Th i s precisely encapsulates the gravity of aviation safety or lack thereof Pakistan’s aviation safety has long been a matter of debate due to its troubled safety record including recurring airline crashes however, it is encouraging to note that the international Civil Aviation Organization’s safety audit results for Pakistan’s aviation sector based on their last mission to the country in 2021 reflect the state’s commitment to addressing aviation safety concerns iCAO has also categorically recognised Pakistan s efforts at addressing aviation safety concerns in recent years, especially in terms of the pilot licensing system of the state Notwithstanding this, the audit results indicate that there are still some areas for improvement that need to be tackled through continued efforts Resolving these concerns remains paramount not only from a moral standpoint but also from an economic point of view, as investing in aviation safety is indispensable to exploiting its economic potential iCAO also conducts regular aviation safety audits of member countries through its Universal safety Oversight Audit Programme to ensure their safety oversight obligations are being met The programme assesses countries safety oversight capabilities in eight key areas, including ‘primary aviation legislation and civil aviation regulations’; ‘civil aviation organization’; ‘personnel licensing and training ; aircraft operations ; airworthiness

To increase aviationÊs economic contribution, Pakistan must continue to strengthen its aviation safety reputations by investing in all areas, including those where it has already manag ed to beat the global averag e of aircraft ; aircraft accident and incident investigation’; ‘air navigation services’; and ‘aerodromes and ground aids ’ UsOAP’s most recent audit results for Pakistan present a mixed picture in four areas including aircraft operations airworthiness of aircraft aircraft accident and incident investigation , and aerodromes and ground aids , Pakistan managed to surpass the global average in fact, in ‘airworthiness’ Pakistan had a significantly high score of 94 5 percent against a global average of 83 2 percent The scores for airworthiness are based on the country s degree of adherence to safety standards in areas such as aircraft s engine and propeller design, structural design and construction, or equipment design The scores for ‘aerodromes and ground aids’ are based on factors such as ground facilities (e g runway safety areas) or airport maintenance; the scores for accident investigation are determined by the state s ability to investigate the causes of a serious incident or aircraft accident, and the parameter of operations assesses factors such as the type of aircraft, the crew’s operating skills or the level of sophistication of the equipment carried on the aircraft however Pakistan could not meet the global average in the other four areas including legislation and regulations , civil aviation organization , licensing and training , and air navigation services ’ The parameter of ‘legislation and regulations’ assesses a country’s aviation laws while the parameter of civil aviation organization (CAO) assesses the effectiveness and capability of the country s CAO system

Additionally, the scores for licensing and training’ are based on factors such as the qualifications, training, or experience of the technical personnel; and the scores for ‘air navigation services are based on the availability of the air traffic control units or flight information centres that provide air traffic information or services importantly, in legislation and regulations, Pakistan’s score of 50 percent was well below the global average of 76 4 percent; and in air navigation services its score of 43 1 percent was well

With iowa and New hampshire both of which handed Biden defeats in 2020 out of the way and replaced by south Carolina which Biden easily won in 2020 and proved to be a turning point in his campaign the party establishment feels confident that they have paved the way for a Biden repeat in 2024 even with these factors in Biden s favo4r his current polling numbers aren t strong in national matchups against a variety of Democratic opponents, Biden rarely breaks 40 percent While the Democrat rank and file may have reservations, their concerns have been overruled by their party’s establishment

The Trump story is almost the exact reverse As was the case in 2016 when Donald Trump won the Republican presidential nomination and went on to win the White house the GOP establishment appears uncomfortable with his 2024 bid to return to office

But their efforts to find an alternative are being upended by the powerful hold Trump continues to have over a substantial plurality of the Republican rank and file since Florida Governor Ron Desantis’ decisive reelection victory in November 2022 the GOP establishment have been hoping to elevate him as their standard bearer But not only has Desantis continued to lag in the polls, in the last two weeks more than one-half of Florida s Republican congressional delegation have publicly endorsed Trump s candidacy, with most of that state’s remaining members of Congress not yet endorsing anyone Republican elected officials are eager to support Trump simply because they fear the wrath of alienating both him and his fervent supporters Trump s base is firm in its attachment to him he can be indicted or exposed in any number of scandals financial, sexual, or otherwise, including inciting violent insurrectionary acts by his supporters but they continue to be with him condemning those who attack him whether it’s the media law enforcement or Democrats Trump s base will even strike out against other Republicans who oppose

A t t h i s p o i n t , 2 0 2 4 l o o k s l i k e a r e p l ay o f 2 0 2 0 , bu t w i t h a d i f fe r e n c e

B o t h c a n d i d a t e s a r e o l d e r B i d e n h a s b e c o m e m o r e c a u t i o u s a n d l e s s g r e g a r i o u s t h a n h e w a s i n t h e p a s t . him accusing them of traitorous behaviour Trump once famously said that he could shoot someone in public on New York City s 5th Avenue and still retain the support of “his people ” he is daily proving that continues to be the case Trump’s leadership is a result of not only his cult-like hold over his base into whose alienation and anger he has so successfully tapped but also his ruthless and relentless attacks against those who dare to challenge him And so, as Desantis star fades in part, as a direct result of Trump’s attacks and the fear other Republican elected officials have of crossing him though unlikely a few others may yet emerge as claimants to the throne But like 2016 though some of these aspirants may be heralded for a time as the new flavour of the month, they will be no luckier than Desantis At this point, there are only two scenarios that would prevent Trump from emerging as the Republican nominee: if he decides to step aside and cast his support for someone else (which is almost inconceivable) or if he is incapacitated and unable to run if in the unlikely event Trump were to lose what would be a bruising primary battle, the victor would emerge bloodied and without the support of many of Trump’s faithful followers And so at this point 2024 looks like a replay of 2020, but with a difference Both candidates are older Biden has become more cautious and less gregarious than he was in the past But he continues to appeal to a broad sector of the electorate with both his record and his working class Joe from scranton appeal Trump on the other hand is still harboring the delusional and dangerous notion that the last election was fraudulent and using that grudge to incite his faithful his behaviour will guarantee that 2024 will be even uglier and potentially more dangerous than the 2020 contest

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute below the global average of 65 2 percent According to the UsAOP report the general highlights of the issues identified in the legislation area include the state’s’ lack of ability to establish comprehensive procedures to timely revise their primary aviation legislation or civil aviation regulations in accordance with the provision in the Annexes to the Chicago Convention; absence of an appropriate system for identifying and notifying the variances between the national regulations and practices and general standards and recommended practices; or issues with respect to establishing and implementing enforcement policies to ensure effective enforcement of the legislation and regulations among others Likewise major concerns with respect to air navigation services included the state s inability to ensure the maintenance and periodic review of flight procedures, smooth search and rescue services weak implementation of enforcement actions and formal surveillance programmes for air navigation service providers Pakistan s aviation sector has demonstrated great economic potential The international Air Transport Association (iATA) estimates that the country’s air transport sector, comprising the airlines and their supply chains supports s2 billion of the country’s GDP and the spending by foreign visitors supports another $1 3 billion resulting in a total contribution of one percent to the country s GDP By addressing the identified shortcomings, this sector has the potential to become economically stronger To increase aviation’s economic contribution Pakistan must continue to strengthen its aviation safety reputations by investing in all areas including those where it has already managed to beat the global average This can help boost the economy by expanding airlines customer base and tourism; prospects for securing more routes and destinations; avoiding the costs associated with accidents; and attracting investment in the country s aviation sector

Beyond the potential economic benefits of addressing these concerns, it is essential that we recognise the immeasurable value of human life and approach this issue with the utmost care and attention By prioritising safety in our aviation sector we not only safeguard the lives of our citizens and visitors but also demonstrate a commitment to our shared humanity and the highest moral ideals of progress and prosperity

The writer is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) Islamabad Pakistan She can be reached at cass thinkers@casstt com

E d i t o r ’ s m a i l

S e n d y o u r l e t t e r s t o : L e t t e r s t o E d i t o r Pakistan Today 4 - S h a a re y F a t i m a J i n n a h L a h o re P a k i s t a n E - m a i l : l e t t e r s @ p a k i s t a n t o d a y c o m p k L e t t e r s s h o u l d b e a d d re s s e d t o Pakistan Today e x c l u s i v e l y

Maintaining justice

T h e responsibilities of a judge and of the judiciary at large have been under active discussion in society This reminds me of a tale from ancient Persian history that stresses the importance of justice and governance sisamnes was a corrupt royal judge known for accepting bribes and making decisions, favouring his clients it was discovered that he had taken a bribe in a court and passed an unfair judgment

When King Cambyses ii learned of the corruption, he decided to make an example of the man to deter other judges from indulging in similar acts as this would compromise their impartiality and the fairness of the proceedings

The king ordered to get sisamnes arrested so that he could be put on trial he was found guilty and was sentenced to a gruesome punishment

The king ordered that the judge s skin be peeled while keeping him alive, and then to use the skin to cover the seat of the judge’s chair in the courtroom The seat was for Otanes the son of sisamnes who was chosen to replace his father The king believed that by doing this he would remind all judges that justice should be delivered impartially and without corruption

The story of sisamnes has several inherent lessons One of the most common interpretations is that it serves as a cautionary tale against abuse of power and corruption it serves as a reminder that a judge must uphold the law and serve justice impartially without fear or favour Thus every judicial structure must be strict in nature and approach to honour the principle of natural justice

NAZIM KHAN KARACHI

Bolstering the image

W h i L e visiting federal or provincial secretariats one can feel the agony and misery of senior officials having a lot of research and practical experience under their belt but being unable to put it to good use They are often found heading ministries and departments that have no use of the technical knowledge they have acquired over the years

This happens because once they have spent some time understanding a subject and its technical aspects along with the currents and cross-currents of the ground reality they are transferred to some other ministry Government ministers also get changed either due to change of government or strategy or preferences

Most of the current politicians do not believe in idealism and critical thinking such people only care about their personal ego and always try to improve their rating on social media in such a scenario, those who run important ministries seem least interested in generating fresh ideas and theories for the betterment of the country and its teeming millions They prefer to pass on files and ministerial notes from lower staff to the higher like a post office without adding any intellectual input to the original draft They do this to save their skin and their image on social media

People sitting at the helm of affairs know little about government functions, but pretend as if they have command on every field of life, causing hurdles in routine functions Decisions taken about a nation s life and death without any consideration of the ground realities tend to backfire and such situations may only be handled and controlled by people who are truly capable, competent and committed The knowledgeable people prefer to keep themselves busy with routine work and all this while they keep waiting to get retired with name and reputation intact rather than facing the negative consequences of being on the wrong side of someone mighty The situation needs urgent attention before it gets too late