PM approves establishment of Civil Drone Authority, says it’s need of hour

News Desk

Establishment of Civil Drone Authority has been approved by the Prime Minister Imran Khan for the purpose of putting in place an institutionalized mechanism to facilitate development and regulation of the sector.

According to media reports, the Prime Minister has granted the approval while addressing a meeting in Islamabad on Saturday.

On the occasion, Imran Khan has stated that employing drone technology for commercial, research and development, agricultural and other peaceful purposes was the need of the hour. He observed that establishment of drone authority will not only fill the existing vacuum due to non-availability of law to regulate this important sector but will also be instrumental in promotion and domestic production of this critical technology.

The Prime Minister has said that effective use of drone technology in various sectors will help in resource optimization and better service delivery. He directed that the process of legislation for establishment of authority be completed on priority and the bill is introduced in the bill after its approval by the Cabinet.

The meeting was apprised that the Civil Drone Authority will be mandated to regulate and control unmanned aircraft system in the country will decide matters relating to licensing, import, manufacturing, examination and issuance of drone permits. It will also develop standards for manufacturing, operations, training and research and development. Besides it will also provide technical guidance to industrial sector to facilitate domestic manufacturing.

The Civil Drone Authority will also be empowered to impose fines and penalties, including cancellation of license and registration besides initiation of legal proceedings against under the prevailing civil and criminal laws.

The Authority will be headed by Secretary Aviation and the composition of Authority includes senior level representation from Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Civil Aviation, Defense Production, Interior and Ministry of Science and Technology. It also includes representative each from the federating units including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan. Three eminent experts of the field will also be members authority.