Subordinates complain against CAA chief

Letter to aviation secretary calls for replacement of DG

KARACHI: Senior officers and staff at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have complained that they face a harsh attitude from the chief of their organization, Air Marshall (retd) Asim Suleman.

A letter written to the aviation secretary also demanded medical examination of the CAA chief and his replacement by a competent officer.

The letter was signed by dozens of officers who demanded that the authorities take notice of unfair treatment they faced at the hands of the director general. “Director General Asim Suleman is ill-treating the staff for a long time. His attitude is a source of extreme psychological stress for the staff,” the letter said.



It included a request for medical examination of the DG, raising a question about his mental health. The signatories include senior directors of the CAA.

They complained that repeated insults from the DG had been causing mental agony and heart conditions for the staff and officers.

“This letter presents our reservations against the director general, which is why it is being sent in the form of a memo. All officers of the senior management are confronting these problems. The behavior of the DG, Civil Aviation, is insulting and extremely inappropriate; the organisation’s performance and administration will be badly affected if immediate notice is not taken,” it said.

The Civil Aviation Authority is a public sector institution which serves an important role as the regulator and facilitator for Pakistani air space. The federal government appointed Suleman as DG on November 27, 2015. Soon after his posting, complaints of ill-treatment with senior officers started surfacing.

The letter said the type of derogatory language allegedly used by the officer could not be expected from the head of an institution. No CAA leader in history has been accused of such treatment and language, especially one who came from respectable institutions like Pakistan Air Force, it said.

The aggressive attitude and language of the DG had badly affected the workplace atmosphere, the complainants said, adding that the officers were subjected to insulting treatment over even the most routine matters. They complained that senior officers were insulted in the presence of junior staff.

Due to this reason, the officers were demoralised and teamwork in the oraganisation was being affected, the letter said. It said the DG termed the officers and other employees incompetent. Rather than encouragement, the dignity of senior management was being damaged and their morale was lowering.



“This has affected the health of the officers and also their families. The regular employees of the Civil Aviation are passing through their worst phase. Numerous officers have been forced to take medical leaves while many officers passed away without completing their tenure. Also, many officers are considering opting for an early retirement because of the situation.

Due to the attitude of the DG, the officers working at the headquarters, airports and on projects were facing medical issues like heart problems, depression and high blood pressure, it claimed.

The complainants said they expected Additional Director General Syedul Rehman Usmani to rescue the workers, but he had reportedly adopted a strict stance.

They alleged that due to the collusion of the two top officers, the CAA was passing through its worst time in history. Saying they had decided to take more steps if the situation did not improve, they said all officers and employees were on the same page that the behavior and unprofessional attitude of the DG was unethical and illogical not just for the senior administration but also the institution. “If immediate attention is not paid to our request then the situation may spiral out of control,” the letter said.