Pakistan has been a signatory to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation 1944 since Dec,1947. As a Contracting State, Pakistan is responsible for conducting investigations of civil aircraft accidents, serious incidents, and incidents as the State of Occurrence, in compliance with ICAO Standards & Recommended Practices. The sole objective of such investigations is to enhance aviation safety by preventing future accidents and incidents of a similar nature, without apportioning blame or liability.
In this regard Safety Investigation Cell was established under Directorate of Civil Aviation Department under Ministry of Defence in December, 1947. After establishment of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority in 1982, Safety Investigation Board (SIB) was established which was responsible for aircraft investigations. Following the first USOAP audit in 2011, due to conflict of interest, SIB was positioned under Aviation Division of Federal Government, however, the funding continued from PCAA. In year 2019, SIB was renamed as Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) under National Aviation Policy. Following the second USOAP audit in 2021, the major audit concerns was functional independence and lack of legal framework for aircraft investigation.
To overcome the ICAO concern, efforts were hand to establish BASIP. Following the segregation of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority on 08 August 2024, the Bureau of Aircraft Safety Investigation Pakistan (BASIP) was established and notified as a separate department vide SRO 1215 (I)/ 2024 dated 09 August 2024 initially under Ministry of Aviation (MoA). Subsequently, due to merger of MoA with MoD, BASIP has now been declared an attached department of the Ministry of Defence (Defence Division) vide Cabinet Division Memorandum No. 4-1/2025-Min-1 dated 08 April 2025. For fully Functionally Independent Investigation Body, Pakistan Air Safety Investigation (PASI) Act, 2023 and Air Safety Rules (ASR) 2025 have been formulated whereas Establishment / Human Resource and Financial Rules are in process of Government approval to make BASIP as fully functional independence department under MOD.
