Islamabad: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence on Thursday recommended that the National Assembly pass the Pakistan Air Safety Investigation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s aviation safety framework following the merger of the former Aviation Division into the Defence Division.
The meeting, chaired by MNA Fateh Ullah Khan at Parliament House, began with Fateha for the martyrs of the Armed Forces and Civil Armed Forces in recognition of their sacrifices for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Committee was informed that the proposed legislation addresses statutory inconsistencies arising from the February 2025 merger and introduces structural and regulatory reforms to improve the operational efficiency of the country’s air safety investigation system.
Under the proposed amendments, the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI) will be renamed the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation Pakistan (BASIP), while the head of the institution will be redesignated from Director to Director General.
The bill also revises post-employment restrictions by limiting them to regular employees and whole-time investigators, introduces a reduced restriction period for short-term employees, authorises the Secretary of Defence to grant waivers where no conflict of interest exists, provides for summary proceedings in offences and rectifies technical drafting errors in the Pakistan Air Safety Investigation Act, 2023.
The Committee also reviewed implementation of previous parliamentary recommendations and discussed the ongoing expansion of Skardu Airport, including extension of the existing terminal building and construction of a new terminal.
Members decided to undertake a site visit to Skardu Airport to review progress on the development projects.
The Committee further directed the Ministry of Defence to submit a comprehensive progress report at its next meeting regarding the establishment of free monthly medical camps for civilian communities residing near defence installations.