ZTBL’s faulty presentation invites president’s ire

The golden jubilee celebrations of the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) hit a wall when the management literally failed to display a video presentation at the Presidency on May 6 that earned nothing but ire and displeasure of President Asif Ali Zardari, who was otherwise supposed to make some “lucrative” announcements for the bank.
A source told Pakistan Today that ZTBL President Zaka Ashraf had to face utter embarrassment and disgrace during a briefing on the bank’s future planning on May 6, 2011, when he informed President Zardari as how his bank was planning to reach out to the farming community and provide them latest agriculture tools and technology on installments.
“However, during the presentation, the documentary about the bank’s performance and future plan of action could not run. Despite repeated attempts, the documentary could not be played and the situation invited the displeasure of the President, who asked Ashraf that if the bank could not run a documentary with information technology (IT) technology, how would it provide latest agricultural tools to farmers,” an official who was present at the meeting quoted the president as saying.
The source said due to the president’s displeasure, a fumed Ashraf ordered an inquiry into the failure of the presentation that had brought embarrassment for the bank and its management. The source further said that rather than opting for production of good documentary from a reputed firm, a top bank official, who had serious differences with Ashraf on several issues, had gotten the documentary hurriedly prepared from an unknown company that failed to play during the presentation.
Another source at the bank opined that it was a very well-orchestrated plan by some executives to embarrass Zaka Ashraf at the highest forum.
To add insult to injury, a committee headed by SEVP Nadeem Chohan even managed to pay, within a couple of days of the embarrassing incident, more than Rs 80,000 to M/s Zeus.
Per the documents obtained by Pakistan Today, after initial findings, the executive vice president (EVP) of the bank’s Vigilance, Disciplinary Proceedings Department, Ghulam Haider Marth, issued a charge sheet to SEVP Nadeem Chohan, (who was heading the committee), Vice President Shahzad Butt, VP Mohammed Yasin and Grade-I officer Mohammed Tariq via letter No DPD/IU-II/6(75)/2011/4992 dated May 27, 2011.
However, after a thorough probe, the bank dropped charges against Israr Ahmed Kasana, executive consultant of ZTBL and Country Head of Media, and the charge sheet against him was withdrawn. The inquiry against others is still underway.