ISLAMABAD, May 22: Reverting to a practice of the Musharraf regime, the PPP-led government on Tuesday removed the defence minister from the position of chairman of PIA and gave the charge to its Managing Director Air Chief Marshal (retd) Rao Qamar Suleman.

The appointment of the former chief of Pakistan Air Force as chairman of the PIA Board also ended a lacuna within the organsation as Mr Suleman did not attend two board meetings held since his appointment as the PIA managing director on March 24.

Sources in the PIA said that Mr Suleman had been demanding greater powers to speed up the decision-making process and to cut down on bureaucratic channels as a prerequisite to steering the airline out of its ongoing financial and administrative crisis.

“Currently the accumulated loss PIA is suffering from exceeds Rs100 billion,” said a senior official of the airline, adding that prompt decision-making was needed badly in the organisation.

Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar remained the PIA chairman for four years.

The system of having one official as managing director and another as chairman was introduced by former prime minister Shaukat Aziz.