Supreme Court orders travel ban for PIA chief

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday issued directives for placing the name of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) chief executive officer Musharraf Rasool Cyan on the Exit Control List (ECL), ARY News reported. 

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, who was heading a bench of the apex court, gave these directives while hearing a case pertaining to the national flag carrier’s replacing national flag with endangered species of Markhor on its planes.

At the outset of the hearing, he asked the PIA chief to explain as to why an amount of Rs3.4 million was spent on painting of the picture of Markhor on an aircraft instead of focusing resources on improving the airline from inside.

He further asked if all employees of the national flag carrier have been paid their salaries to which Mr Rasoool said the process of disbursement of salaries is under way.

He told the judges that even he hasn’t received the salary yet. “We have been improving the airline as per your directives,” he told the chief justice.

The top judge asked the PIA chief if he tried to flee the country but was offloaded from a plane, to which the latter replied the report in this regard was fake.

At the previous hearing, the court was informed that redesigning of the planes will cost the airline Rs2.7 million each.

Upon this, the chief justice said the cost will be Rs3.4 million, not Rs2.7 million and wondered if PIA is a profit-earning entity that a huge amount is being spent for the purpose.

The CJP said the federal government has given a Rs20 billion bailout package to turn the airline into a profitable organization and not for placing the picture of the animal on aircraft.

The PIA chief said that only single plane has been redesigned with Markhor on its tail.