ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad accountability court on Tuesday indicted former adviser on Civil Aviation Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi and other accused in connection with appointment of Musharraf Rasool Cyan as chief executive officer (CEO) of the national flag carrier.

Besides Abbasi, the other accused indicted in this case are ex-Civil Aviation secretary Mohammad Irfan Elahi, Chief human resource officer M. Raheel Ahmed, former PIA CEO Muhsarraf Rasool Cyan and Tariq Mehmood Pasha.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty. The court subsequently, asked the National Accountability Bureau to produce evidence against Mr Abbasi.

The last PML-N government had appointed the former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Mehtab Abbasi as aviation adviser to then prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017 and after a few months of Abbasi’s appointment, Dr Musharraf Rasool Cyan was also appointed as CEO of PIA.

After a year, the Supreme Court declared Dr Cyan’s appointment illegal after hearing a case filed by the PIA officers’ association challenging his appointment.

The apex court referred the matter to NAB to ascertain the validity of the said appointment.

As per NAB’s investigation, Abbasi, in connivance with Elahi , Raheel Ahmed and Tariq Mehmood Pasha, appointed Musharraf Rasool Cyan as CEO of the PIA in violation of relevant rules and laws.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2019