ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Central Information Secretary Dr Nafisa Shah has expressed grave concern over what she said was the ill-advised and discriminatory promotion policy of the National Bank of Pakistan, which has led to an organisational chaos within the bank. She also called upon the finance minister to suspend the controversial promotions in the top management of the bank until the facts were ascertained.
“The National Bank is an asset of this country, and the PMLN government has always been on the agenda to destroy national assets,” said Dr Nafisa Shah in a statement issued on Tuesday.
“The new National Bank President Saeed Ahmed was a classmate of Ishaq Dar and was running a nursing home for the elderly in London before his appointment to the State Bank and the National Bank. He has little experience in banking in Pakistan,” she said while adding that he is also under an investigation for money laundering.
The PPP central information secretary further said the promotion policy is ad hoc and ill-advised for three reasons.
First, the promotion policy was devised by the HR manager who is a political appointee and is facing a petition in the court over his controversial appointment. Second, the promotion policy was announced on the same day as when the promotions were made. And third, by awarding fifty percent marks for the interview, space was allowed to the favourites to supersede many senior people in the bank, which is a corrupt practice.
“It is unheard of, in any HR policy, old and new, that seniority is wiped out and 50 percent marks are given for interview during a promotion. In most HR policies, seniority, performance and qualifications are given due weightage,” said Dr Shah.
She said that the PPP welcomes the fact that both the Senate and National Assembly committees have taken notice in this matter, and demands that these promotions of the top management are suspended in the interests of this most important public sector organisation.