From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chief Executive Air Marshal Arshad Malik was told by the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday to stop working owing to a petition filed over his eligibility for the CEO post. The general secretary of the PIA’s Senior Staff Association (SASA), Safdar Anjum, had filed a petition at the high court challenging Malik’s appointment as the airline’s CEO. It stated that the incumbent chief did not fulfil the educational requirements nor did he have any relevant experience for the job. The two-member bench during the proceedings stopped the national carrier’s CEO from performing his functions and told the airline to neither transfer, hire or fire any employees nor buy or sell assets. It said the PIA could not sell assets worth more than Rs10 million or make policies for the time being. The SHC had issued a notice to the deputy general to appear before the court on January 22 in relation to the case. Prior to joining the PIA, Malik a graduate of the National Defence University (NDU) and qualified in Air Command and Staff Course from the US had served as the Vice Chief of the Air staff. He has served more than 40 years in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) before being appointed the airline’s chief executive officer. He was posted as the PIA’s chairperson on October 11, 2018, by the federal government. On April 2, 2019, he was appointed the CEO.
