KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines Chairman Air Chief Marshal (retd) Rao Qamar Suleman tendered his resignation on Tuesday.

Suleman, who was previously Managing Director PIA, was made chairman on May 22, 2012 after the he PPP-led government removed the then defence minister from the position of chairman PIA.

Suleman, who also a former chief of Pakistan Air Force, reportedly resigned on account of ill-health.

Suleman who is from Okara received his initial training from PAF Public School, Sargodha.

Thereafter, he joined Pakistan Air Force Academy, Risalpur, in 1972 and was commissioned in the Pakistan Air Force as a fighter pilot.

He commanded the PAF from March 18, 2009 to March 18, 2012.

Corruption in the national flag carrier

Last week, the Supreme Court had summoned Suleman for the second week of October on an application moved by the Transparency International-Pakistan voicing apprehensions over the state of affairs and corruption in the national flag carrier.

Citing a newspaper report, the Transparency International had requested Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take notice of a host of issues prevalent in PIA like purchase of aircraft on very high prices and a loss of Rs410 million suffered by the airline because of cancellation of 1,200 flights between August and November last year.

The apex court is also seized with a set of petitions alleging rampant corruption and mismanagement in PIA.