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The chief executive of Pakistan's loss-making national airline on Tuesday stepped down on the order of the Supreme Court, which has ruled his appointment was made in violation of the rules and regulations.
The court order was the latest blow to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which was reported last year to be losing up to $30 million per month, as well as the latest sign of the Supreme Court taking a hands-on approach to government-run businesses.
PIA named Musharraf Rasool Cyan as its chief executive late last year, entrusting him with turning around the national carrier's fortunes.
Cyan, who the PIA had described as a "professional technocrat", was tasked by the outgoing government of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to improve the carrier's reputation, which was dented by allegations of financial mismanagement.
Pakistani lawmakers headed to the polls on Tuesday to elect the 13th president for the next five years, officials and state-run media reported. The polling began at National Assembly at 10 a.m. local time (0500GMT) which will continue until 4 p.m. local time (1100GMT), state-run PTV News reported.The president is elected through a secret ballot by lawmakers from the Senate, National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies.Three candidates are running for the office of the president. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and its allies’ nominated Dr. Arif Alvi, while Pakistan People Party’s candidate is Aitzaz Ahsan. Other opposition parties have nominated Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s President Maulana Fazlu Rehman as their presidential candidate.The opposition parties failed to reach a consensus to field a joint candidate despite several meetings between their leaders on Monday.The ruling party is confident to easily win the election as opposition parties are divided.In Pakistan, the president is a symbol of federation and head of the state, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but exercise power upon the recommendations of the prime minister.The incumbent President Mamnoon Hussain’s five-year term will end on Sept. 9.
Voting begins in Pakistan's presidential election
A three-member panel headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar ruled on Monday that Cyan neither met the criteria for the job, nor had any aviation experience.
The PIA's counsel Naeem Bukhari argued aviation experience wasn't mandatory for the job, which the court rejected.
One of the three judges remarked that Cyan's appointed was illegal because he got the job due to his links with an adviser to the former prime minister.
The PIA's spokesman, Mashhood Tajwar, told Reuters by phone that the "court decision has been implemented in letter and spirit." He said Cyan had relinquished his duties.
Tajwar said the airlines' board of governors would find an interim CEO until a permanent replacement was made.
Cyan's appointment followed the removal of the PIA's German chief executive Bernd Hildenbrand, who was ousted in April last year after authorities launched a corruption investigation into the leasing of planes from a Sri Lankan carrier.
In an interview with Reuters in March 2017, Hildenbrand said PIA was losing about 3.1 billion rupees ($30 million) per month, while Gulf-based rivals such as Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines were eating into its market share.