SC reinstates Air Marshal Arshad Malik as PIA CEO

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Wednesday reinstated Air Marshal Arshad Malik’s as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmad permitted Arshad Malik to perform functions for the running of the national carrier of PIA.The court has allowed to Arshad Malik to temporarily serve as CEO of PIA. The court also summoned PIA administration and union officials in the next hearing, while Arshad Malik was also summoned on personal behalf. The court adjourned further hearing of the case till April 20. During the hearing, CJP Gulzar said that the country is suffering from coronavirus due to the negligence of PIA and incumbent government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The government has not taken any step to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country. We have been requested to halt judicial proceedings but the courts will not be shut at any cost, he remarked. Earlier on Dec 31, the Sindh High Court (SHC) stopped Air Marshal Arshad Malik from performing duty as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) CEO. During the hearing, the SHC prohibited new hiring, transfers and termination of employees. The court also prohibited sale of assets worth more than Rs10 million, policy making, new hiring, transfers and termination of employees. It is pertinent to mention here that a plea was filed by general secretary of SSA Safdar Anjum in SHC against appointment of Air Marshal Arshad Malik as CEO of PIA. In the plea, the petitioner argued that Arshad Malik does not fulfill eligibility criteria for CEO and neither has he had any previous experience of working in an airline. Prior to joining the PIA, Malik was serving as the Vice Chief of the Air staff. He is a graduate of the National Defence University (NDU) and qualified in Air Command and Staff Course from the US. Malik has served for more than 40 years in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) before he was appointed as the airline’s chief executive officer. He was appointed as PIA chairman on October 11, 2018 by the federal government. On April 2, 2019, he was appointed the national flag carrier’s CEO.