A new twist appeared in ATR plane crash case when Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) former deputy chief engineer challenged official report on the incident in the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday, leading to the issuance of notices to the PIA and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) by the court, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Khalid Mumtaz, former deputy chief engineer, in his petition, claimed that the plane that had crashed at Havelian in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 7, 2016, resulting in the loss of 47 lives, including that of singer-turned preacher Junaid Jamshed, was faulty since 2013, adding he had all the relevant record to prove his claim. “Therefore, all ATR planes should be grounded immediately,” he prayed to the court.   

He added that he had intimidated the national flag carrier about the fault on time, and that the report compiled by both the PIA and CAA was fake.    

Reporter: Bilal Ahmed