Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has been accused by a former air force chief of 'ruining' a $1.2 billion deal for acquiring surveillance aircraft from Sweden's Saab firm for 'possible kickbacks'.

Former Air Chief Marshal Saadat Kaleem has claimed that despite the Pakistan Air Force's opposition, Musharraf put pressure on the force to modify a contract to reduce the number of surveillance aircraft to be purchased from Saab from six to four and to include two Chinese systems.