Pakistan, July 7 -- The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has barred its 32 member states from allowing Pakistani-licensed pilots from flying aircraft, following reports that some of pilot licences issued by the Pakistani authorities were either "falsified or not compliant with the global regulator.

S0urces t0ldthat the EASA issued a letter 0n Wednesday t0 the airlines 0perat0rs in the member c0untries, asking them t0 suspend the validati0ns issued t0 pil0ts by Pakistan Civil Aviati0n Auth0rity (PCAA).

Acc0rding t0 the letter, a c0py 0f which is available with The Express Tribune, the decisi0n has been taken after 262 Pakistani pil0ts were gr0unded, wh0se licences the Aviati0n Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan had termed "dubi0us"....