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Thursday March 28, 2024

BoK blatantly violates merit

By Arshad Aziz Malik
September 29, 2017

PESHAWAR: The Bank of Khyber (BoK) administration has blatantly violated the merit by paving the way for appointment of one of the most junior officers as the acting managing director (MD) of the bank, according to the sources.

The administration has made changes in the seniority list of the bank officers and forwarded a summary to the finance department for appointment of the acting MD.  Official record shows that the name of Muhammad Shahbaz Jamil has been at the first place, who was hired as an executive vice president in December 2016. 

However, BoK Board’s non-executive director Rashid Ali Khan says that the provincial government was fully authorized to appoint an acting MD of the bank. He said that the bank had sent the names of the senior officials to the government according to the seniority list. 

According to the documents available with the reporter, the incumbent MD of the Khyber bank, Shamsul Qayyum, would retire on Sept 30, on expiry of his contract. An acting MD is required for running the bank affairs meanwhile, according to the documents.  The finance department had sought officers’ seniority list vide letter VOL/VII/F/L-FD/2017/1-1 dated Sept 26, after the bank contacted it for appointment of an acting managing director. 

However, BoK Group Human Resource head Sher Muhammad and Internal Audit Division head Muhammad Iqbal violated all banking rules blatantly and placed the name of a junior officer, Executive Vice President Shahbaz Jamil, on top of the seniority list. The documents showed that the said official was hired on Dec 13, 2016 as EVP. However, the seniority list showed that he was working as EVP since August 2006. The name of most senior EVP, Shabbir Ahmad Sheikh, has been given at the second place, though he was hired on July 2, 1992, and since Jan 1, 2013, he has been working as executive vice president. 

The second most senior officer Yasin Chaudhry was placed on third number in the seniority list, thought he was recruited on February 9, 2004 and made EVP on January 1, 2013. Another senior officer, Muhammad Atif, is on fourth number was employed on November 16 2015 and appointed EVP on the same date. According 2015 seniority list of EVPs, available with Jang, Shabbir Ahmad Shaikh, Yasin Chaudhry, Masood Wahid and Muhammad Atif are first, second, third and fourth respectively, whereas Muhammad Shahbaz Jamil was appointed directly as EVP.

Talking to Jang, the non-executive director of bank’s board, Rashid Ali Khan, said the provincial government had the authority to appoint the acting MD out of the list of senior officers furnished by the bank.

He said the seniority is determined according the State Bank’s seniority list. However, overall performance and eligibility of the officer concerned is also kept in view. It may be mentioned that Rashid Ali Khan is the central character in the money trail story of PTI chief Imran Khan who sent him (Rashid) money to purchase Bani Gala land and house. The Supreme Court is hearing a case in this connection. When contacted Sher Muhammad, group head of bank’s human resource department, declined to comment on the issue, saying he was not allowed to talk to media. When this correspondent insisted, he disconnected the call expressing his anger. Interestingly, Sher Muhammad also holds position of bank’s spokesman.