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PIA GM in Saudi Arabia suspended

By Ghulam Haider

LAHORE: General-Manager of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in Saudi Arabia and Yemen Saleem Nisar has been suspended and a high-level departmental inquiry ordered against him after he was found drunk while trying to sneak into the mausoleum of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

"The PIA management has suspended Saleem Nisar with immediate effect and a high-level departmental inquiry has been ordered against him," said spokesman for the PIA. He said the PIA Station Manager in Saudi Arabia, former Olympian Manager Manzur-ul-Hasan, has been given the additional charge of general manager till further orders.

Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Husain, Minister for Religious Affairs, Ejaz-ul-Haq and other government officials had to face embarrassment when the Saudi Arabia’s security officials caught the dead drunk top PIA official while he was trying to sneak into the premises of the Mausoleum of the Prophet (PBUH).

According to sources, the Saudi security officials tried to keep the official away when the delegation was arriving to visit the Rauza-tun-Nabi (PBUH) but he continued to make hullabaloo. Later, about 80 Saudi security personnel officially informed the delegation, which also included Pakistan’s embassy staffers. Saleem Nisar was offloaded from the plane on the directive of Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Husain.