PIA says CEO appointed as per rules

E-Paper | March 09, 2026

KARACHI: Apropos a news item headlined “AGP recommends immediate sacking of PIA’s chief” appearing in Dawn on Aug 26, the Pakistan International Airlines on Monday said that neither the AGP nor his office had made any observations or conclusive determinations about the appointment of CEO Dr Musharraf Rasool Cyan.

It said the letter alluded to in the news report is speculative and does not count as an audit observation or audit para by the AGP. It may be mentioned that the letter sent by a government audit officer to PIA on May 7 with observation about the CEO had already been responded to by the PIA on July 19 to clarify the matter.

The national flag carrier on Monday said that Dr Cyan’s name was shortlisted and he performed well in both the interviews that followed. He has a PhD in Economics (USA) and an MSc in Development Management (London) and got extensive professional experience by working abroad as well as in the civil service of Pakistan that led to his selection as CEO.

According to PIA, the entire board had endorsed that Mr Cyan possessed the skills set for the CEO, as mentioned in the advertisement. He has been appointed for two years as per the approval granted by the prime minister and that all the SECP guidelines were followed in the appointment process.

Besides, PIA points out, his appointment is a sub judice matter in two quo warrantos which the court of Pakistan shall decide, and before such judgement is made no determination by anyone is valid.

The PIA says that mis-match in the month of birth is a typographical error on part of some individual or elders (and without any objection from the relevant department it is being amended).

The PIA says that Dr Cyan and his family have not exceeded his entitlement in the use of free tickets. However, the CEO is required to travel as per the business need for official purpose. Perhaps his business travel has been mixed with entitlement for his family’s personal visits.

There is no controversy with CEO of PIACL (a body corporate) being paid above the M1 grade because he is a contractual employee and was offered market-based consolidated salary without benefits of pension and gratuity, medical facilities, post-retirement facilities, tickets etc, adds the PIA version.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2018

Newspaper

Musharraf Rasool joins PIA as CEO

Appointment of PIA CEO challenged

AGP recommends immediate sacking of PIA’s chief

Anti-Corruption_Pakistani

Aug 28, 2018 08:20am

I ask: was Dr Cyan recruited on merits, and does he have required qualifications and experience to head PIA's CEO? And, was the job advertised, how many people applied and who conducted the interviews, etc?

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Kamal

Aug 28, 2018 08:20am

Well educated looter?

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Socrates

Aug 28, 2018 08:41am

As the top most priority, please disallow free travel by PIA employees and their relatives in PIA. They not only travel free, they travel in the highest class available in the plane.Their moneymoon should be over now. PIA is a huge liability on the government. Fix it or get rid of it.

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Fairplay

Aug 28, 2018 08:54am

PIA defendng a man who has no experiance in running an airline - no wonder our national airline is in 2 billion dollar debt.

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Aug 28, 2018 09:20am

NAB get to the bottom of this please!

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Javed

Aug 28, 2018 10:03am

The more important question is; how has he performed since his appointment as CEO.

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Shah

Aug 28, 2018 10:33am

PTI went from A-1 airline to a C-class failed business. The guys on top are ALWAYS to blame!!!

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Billal USA

Aug 28, 2018 11:06am

Musharraf was 3 year senior to me at Lawrence college, he was headboy, one of finest person one could meet. Very down to earth with sportsman spirit. He topped in CSS exam in entire country. I cannot believe he joined PIA for anything other than to turn it around. Watch his first speech to employees.

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SYED HASSAN HASEEB

Aug 28, 2018 11:57am

the info given by pia office is wrong the man signing this information should be called in to proof what he has said . during his job with pia cyan has bought what improvement except giving aircraft to hungry poor nawaz and family that is his only merit.

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Zafari syed

Aug 28, 2018 01:02pm

Good effort. Perhaps the first time that PIA has tried to defend itself in the press. Usually, the management chooses not to reply any negative article about it, specially if it is about a decision made during the previous government. It appears that the recruitment process was process was followed, but obviously the selection has to be made from among those who have applied, whether or not they fulfill all the requirements advertised, as such posts cannot be left vacant. The AGP member as well as writer of the previous article should have gone deeper and analysed if any person who applied for the post was better suited than the one selected and why.

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kash

Aug 28, 2018 01:04pm

@Fairplay I don't know Cyan, but what i do know is that he is someone trying to change the perception of PIA. He came into an organisation that didnt have any scheduling software. The debt was there befor he took over. As far as i can see, since he has been in, sales have increased 7%. Punctuality especially to and from UK sector has been good. The guy deserves a chance.

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hamid shafiq

Aug 28, 2018 01:06pm

what is the performance of PIA during his time whether its profitable or loss making.

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Parvez

Aug 28, 2018 01:17pm

Let performance be the judge. From the time he took charge to this day has the affairs shown even the slightest improvement....if yes, he should stay....if not, he must go.

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Sammy

Aug 28, 2018 01:34pm

@Anti-Corruption_Pakistani totally agree, what about his experience in heading multi million dollar operations? Even I have degrees mentioned in the article, that doesent count for much without prior experience.

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Zafari syed

Aug 28, 2018 02:20pm

@Fairplay Most of the CEO's, good or bad, had no previous experience in running the airline. Good ones included M/s Zafrul Ahsan (the first MD), Noor Khan, Asghar Khan and Rafiq Saigol , none of them were bred in an airline. For bad ones, there is an even longer list. The question is, did any among those who applied had good experience in running an airline? Or did they reject any person who had better credentials than him? If not, in all fairness, the Board had to select the best and most promising among them as the post could not be left vacant.

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kash

Aug 28, 2018 02:24pm

@hamid shafiq i belive over 7% increase in sales

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Jamal

Aug 28, 2018 02:35pm

A PhD in Econ by itself would qualify Dr Cyan for a Lecturer or Research Fellow position in the Econ department of a university NOT to run an airline. Dr Magenta should know that. To pretend he got the CEO PIA job on merit just insults the intelligence.

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Atif

Aug 28, 2018 04:01pm

Any future CEO should be selected based on number of previous miles travelled on PIA. Thus will ensure he or she has first hand experience of its service and delays.

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ukasha

Aug 28, 2018 07:27pm

A high school graduate can run PIA. Just follow the international parameters to run a successful airline. That is it.If you keep your workers to like 100 to 150 a plane, you are good to go.

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shak

Aug 28, 2018 08:09pm

Pia Has huge potential to go higher, it stopped the flights from USA which is the biggest loss, Dr.Cyan is another guy unless he proves and has love for the country, Arab airlines are minting money out of Pakistanis.

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M. Saeed

Aug 28, 2018 08:29pm

PIA is going down and down because of its world's heaviest work force per aircraft, highest paid salaries in comparison with the other airlines, huge burden of Government reserved seats always kept without payments and often lost due to not releasing to the waiting list regular customers in time, heavy perks and privileges to staff and so many other corrupt practices in each and every section of the organization. Nothing short of a complete surgical operation is required to bring it to health.

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