Senior Most Executive NBP Man Should Be Appointed New President

KARACHI: Senior most banker from the National Bank of Pakistan should be given the top slot of the bank after termination of the sitting President of the NBP Saeed Ahmed.

NBP officials said that the of the NBP and State Bank have recommended termination of NBP President Saeed Ahmed and they have recommended the names of group chief Faisal Ahmed Topra and Rehmat Ali Hasnie. NBP officials pointed out that Topra had recently been promoted as group chief and how a junior banker can be given the top post of the bank by ignoring the senior most professional bankers.

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The government should immediate sack NBP President Saeed Ahmed and appoint the senior most as new President in the best interest of the bank.

Worth noting is that the Federal government has withheld the decision of removing National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) President Saeed Ahmed, a close aide of former finance minister Ishaq Dar from his post.

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Sources said that the finance ministry had presented a summary for the suspension of Saeed Ahmed to the federal cabinet, but the government is expected to appoint new president of NBP any time.

NBP President Saeed Ahmed must be suspended as early as possible from service in terms of the general clauses act because the federal government had appointed him on this position. This proviso of general clause act was invoked in the case of Zafarul Haq Hejazi, SECP ex-chairman, as the law division had advised that an accused, in criminal law, was presumed innocent till proven guilty, and he may therefore not resign.

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It is pertinent to note that Saeed Ahmed is a co-accused in an illegal assets reference case against former finance minister Ishaq Dar who had already been declared a proclaimed offender. The court had reserved the verdict till July 7, 2018, over Saeed Ahmed’s acquittal from the case.

Sources said the finance ministry had presented two names i.e. Faisal Ahmed Topra and Rehmat Ali Hasnie, for the provisional charge of NBP president in the cabinet meeting for a stop-gap arrangement and NBP board members had vigorously lobbied for Faisal Ahmed Topra even though the finance minister was not happy with it. Whereas, the senior most banker of the National Bank should be considered for the top slot to promote professionalism and competency in the bank.

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According to sources, the federal government is sidelining close aides of the previous government, especially the proclaimed offender former finance minister, in a bid to maintain transparency in the polls.

Amid the transfers ahead of general elections, the government transferred FBR Chairman Tariq Pasha and the caretaker government was now considering the pre-mature removal of the Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Tariq Bajwa, appointed by Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s first proclaimed offender ex-finance minister, sitting in London while  the federal Ombudsperson and Auditor General of Pakistan are also being replaced with competent, neutral and professionals. (for news please contact by email: editor@enewspaper.com.pk   WhatsApp # +923132434567)