KARACHI, March 26: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) chairman Tariq Kirmani has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Reports of Mr Kirmani’s resignation have been in circulation since Sunday night but he confirmed it at a meeting with senior executives of the airline on Monday evening.

According to sources privy to the meeting, Mr Kirmani said that the prime minister had asked him to continue till his return from Hong Kong. He is reported to have said that he had taken the decision because of personal reasons and there had been no pressure on him from any quarter to quit.

The sources also quoted him as saying that his successor would take over some time next week.

Mr Kirmani was appointed chairman and chief executive officer of PIA on April 16, 2005. Prior to this appointment, he was managing director of Pakistan State Oil.

Mr Kirmani, who had no experience of running a commercial airline, became controversial after the opposition raised the issues of his performance and emoluments in parliament. Later, a ban imposed on most of the PIA aircraft by European Union for failing to meet EU safety standards raised serious questions about his credentials for the post.

It may be recalled that a report of the ministry of defence sent to the prime minister suggested that both he and the director general of the Civil Aviation Authority were not qualified and experienced enough to hold the posts.