KARACHI, June 6: The Sindh High Court granted interim bail before arrest to Muhammad Rasheed Hasan, a former PIA executive, allegedly involved in leasing and purchase of six 747-300 Boeing aircraft from the Cathay-Pacific airline.

According to the National Accountability Bureau, the leasing and purchase of the six "˜unserviceable' airliners caused a loss of $ 6 million to the Pakistan International Airlines. Darius Cyrus Minwala, the Cathay-Pacific agent in Pakistan, and Pervez Hussain, who deals in defence equipment procurement, have been cited as co-accused in the reference filed in an accountability court and fixed for hearing on June 15.

Advocate Saadat Yar Khan, counsel for the applicant, said his client retired from the PIA in December 2006. He served the airline as general manager for fleet planning, director (services) and senior vice-president but had nothing to do with the induction of the aircraft in any capacity.

The planes were first leased for two years in 1999 by a high-powered committee headed by an air marshal and vice-chief of the air staff. The lease was extended for three years in 2001 and outright purchase was made in 2004. He was not a member of any committee or board that took the decision.

In fact, the counsel said, Rasheed Hasan had made a presentation in 1999 before the then PIA chairman, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and 18 senior executives of the airline against the acquisition of the aircraft. He had warned that the airline would incur a loss of over Rs502 million if it leased the six aircraft. He favoured the renovation and upgradation of the existing fleet of B747-200 planes. However, his opinion was overruled on the ground that the higher operating cost of the B747-300 planes would be more than made up by higher revenue generation.

The counsel claimed that the accused had explained the entire decision making process and his own innocence to the NAB investigators but they did not include the officials responsible for the deal in their inquiry. Instead of being exonerated, he was subjected to torture and humiliation. The agony he suffered forced him to acquire a pacemaker.

A division bench comprising Justices Amir Hani Muslim and Munib Ahmed Khan admitted him to interim bail till June 13 and issued the NAB a notice for that date.