Islamabad: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested the former managing director (MD) of Pakistan Interna­t­ional Air­lines (PIA) on charges of “illegal” hiring, officials said.

On Saturday, the FIA’s Corporate Cri­me Circle, Karachi arrested former PIA MD Aijaz Haroon and also former Human Resource director Moham­mad Haneef Pathan, Dawn news reported

In a statement, FIA Deputy Director Abdur Rauf Shaikh said the agency had registered an FIR against the two on charges of the illegal appointment of Salim Sayani, a Pakistani-American, as Deputy Managing Director in 2009 in “clear violation of PIA HR rules”.

The FIA officer said that Sayani, who is also been booked in the casem had been appointed on a monthly salary of $20,000 along with other perks and privileges that caused huge loss to the national exchequer.

Sharing details of the perks and privileges, the officer said apart from the salary in US dollars, he was allowed to stay at a five-star hotel for three months and his family was also provided accommodation in Dubai on flag carrier’s expense.