ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered an inquiry against former Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) head Shujaat Azeem over his alleged mismanagement in the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) affairs and directed the government to place his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
A four-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing a suo motu case pertaining to PIA’s reported privatisation, poor financial conditions and mismanagement.
The court also ordered formation of a commission to inquire into the airlines’ reported privatisation and ascertain reasons for accumulation of losses.
Azeem and adviser to prime minister on aviation Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan appeared on a court notice. The chief justice said that during his (Azeem) tenure the PIA had suffered financial losses. The chief justice directed the government to place his name on ECL, besides directing Azeem to submit a written reply explaining his position.
The court directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file a reference against him after holding an inquiry. During the hearing, when Azeem contended that losses did not occur in his tenure, the chief justice remarked “whether angels descended down and consumed billions of rupees”. “The court knows very well that how Azeem was made the CAA head,” the chief justice noted.
Azeem has served as the prime minister’s adviser on aviation and the special assistant on aviation during the incumbent government’s tenure. He had to resign from both posts after the Supreme Court’s intervention on various illegalities.
During the hearing, the chief justice remarked that those who damaged the national flag carrier would not be spared at any cost and they would have to answer of their misdeeds.
Addressing the incumbent adviser on CAA, the chief justice noted that PIA did not suffer any loss in his tenure, however, he should review what had occurred in the PIA.
The chief justice noted that the court had only allowed two former heads of CAA to leave the country temporarily. Noted Economist Farrukh Saleem, who was earlier appointed amicus curiae (friend of the court) to assist the court briefed to the court on a projector.
Saleem stated that the accumulated losses in the last 10 years stood at Rs 360. He said in 2008, PIA’s revenue operational cost was Rs 129 billion, revenue was 89 billion while total losses stood at Rs 73 billion.
He said from 2008 up till now, the loss had accumulated to Rs 360 billion. The chief justice observed that these losses occurred in the tenure of the last two governments. He said in 2013 an aviation division was established with Azeem as its head. He regretted that taxpayers money is consumed by PIA, thus its misuse was not tolerable.
Terming political interference and association policies as reasons for the poor financial conditions, Saleem claimed that employments in PIA were made on political grounds in the last 10 years. He said PIA has seven unions affiliated with political parties. He said 45 planes were bought on lease from 2008-17, while their grounding caused a loss of Rs6.67 billion.
He stated that 287,000 tickets were distributed in 2013 which caused a loss of Rs5 billion. The chief justice inquired as to who all were given free tickets and added that they will look at this aspect of the case later.
The chief justice asked Azeem what was his experience and expertise on the basis of which he was appointed special assistant to the Prime Minister on CAA.
The chief justice regretted that taxpayers’ money was consumed by PIA, however it was being misappropriated. Saleem stated that PIA had seven unions affiliated with political parties.
He added that 45 planes were bought on lease from 2008-17 while their grounding caused a loss of Rs 6.67 billion. He stated that 287,000 tickets were distributed in 2013 which caused a loss of Rs5 billion.
The chief justice inquired as to who all were given free tickets and added that they will look at this aspect of the case later. Later, the court adjourned the hearing for two weeks.
Published in Daily Times, May 9th 2018.