Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday approved the establishment of the Civil Drone Authority (CDA).

As per details, the authority is formed for the purpose of putting in place an institutionalised mechanism to facilitate development and regulation of the sector. It would be mandated to regulate and control unmanned aircraft systems in the country.

Moreover, it would also decide on matters related to licensing, import, manufacturing, examination and issuance of drone permits.

The authority would be empowered to impose fines and penalties, including cancellation of license and registration, besides initiation of legal proceedings under the prevailing civil and criminal laws.

Addressing to the meeting in Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, “Employing drone technology for commercial, research and development, agricultural and other peaceful purposes was the need of the hour.”

“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,” said khan.

Furthermore, the Premier said that effective use of drone technology in various sectors will help in resource optimisation and better service delivery.

The authority will be headed by secretary aviation division, while, it will also include senior-level representation from Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Ministry of Defence Production, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Science and Technology.