Reprimanding the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for not registering cases against officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) who misused Rs 2.5 billion from the bank’s Staff Welfare Fund, the Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices to the bank management as well as its 16 directors for July 12. Those issued notices were illegally given millions of rupees in achievement award from the Staff Welfare Fund that was meant for the welfare of bank’s employees.
A three-member Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim was hearing a petition filed by Sayed Jahangir, president collective bargaining agent (CBA) and secretary general Trade Union Foundation of NBP, under Article 184 (3) of the constitution against the misuse of the staff welfare fund. The court also summoned a complete record of the meeting held for giving millions of rupees in achievement award to NBP officials from the staff fund, including the minutes of the meeting, list of officers who were selected and rejected for being awarded and the performance record of those officers who were given the award.
The chief justice noted that the delay in registration of cases against those involved in the scam indicated that FIA was under pressure. He said if FIA registered cases and started action against the accused officials, the court had no need to indulge in the matter. FIA Karachi Director Moazzam Jah informed the court that he had already approved investigation into the case and given the probe to his deputy director through a letter dated April 21.
Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, lawyer for NBP, assured the court that the bank would not hide anything from the court, adding that FIA officials were demanding passports from the senior officials of the bank. He said the bank wanted to become party in the case, which the court allowed. The chief justice questioned, “How can an official get Rs 60 million from the fund as achievement award?” The court directed the NBP management and 16 directors who were given the performance awards to file their reply by July 12. Those served notices include Qammar Hussain, Syed Ali Raza, Masood Karim Sheikh, Amer Siddique, Shahid Anwar Khan, Mirza Abrar Baig, Asif A Brohi, Muhammad Nusrat Vohra, Ziaullah Khan, Imam Bux Baloch, Tahir Yaqoob, Khurshid Maqsood Ali, Ekhlaq Ahmed, Tajammul A Bukhari, Nadeem A Ilyas and Amer Sattar.