K-P assembly forms panel to probe BoK scam
Cross-party committee to submit report within 15 days
K-P Assembly. PHOTO: AFP
PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly has constituted a special parliamentary committee comprising members from all political parties to probe the Bank of Khyber (BoK) scam.
Speaking on the floor of the house on Friday, K-P Finance Minister Muzaffar Said expressed his utter helplessness as regards running the BoK despite it being a subordinate entity of the K-P finance department, as per the rules of business.
“The P&D Department (Planning and Development) is using all powers relating to the bank since the day I changed the chairman of its board of directors over violating the rights of the province,” Said told the house while replying to questions raised by the opposition.
“The officials of the P&D department are not ready to leave the unlawful possession of the bank despite the fact that the finance secretary has issued them letters,” he added.
K-P Assembly reopens Bank of Khyber case
The minister explained that he had removed former additional chief secretary P&D Dr Hammad Uwais Agha from the chairmanship of the board of directors of the bank as he assigned the slot earmarked for the government representative on the board to the private sector.
“Under the rules of business, the finance department has the power to nominate the government representative for the board but the P&D department has been putting hindrance in this regard and issuing the notification of the board of directors which has been declared illegal by the law department,” he said.
Said also raised the issue of the appointment of bank’s current managing director, saying he was appointed in violation of rules.
PTI lawmakers want Nawaz, Khattak to go
“The managing director published an advertisement against me in which he levelled baseless allegations on someone’s direction. Then he sought an apology through an advertisement and now fingers are raised at the bank’s reputation due to his incompetence and misconduct,” he said, referring an advertisement run by the bank against him in April last year.
He sought an inquiry committee to probe all issues pertaining to the bank and submit a report within 15 days.
The scam surfaced last year in April when The Express Tribune published a story in which Said expressed his unawareness about the bank’s voluntary separation scheme and negated the move of the bank.
Opposition demands K-P speaker’s resignation
Awami National Party parliamentary leader in the house Sardar Hussain Babak raised the issue in the house via an adjournment motion. Babak demanded a special committee of the assembly to probe the affairs of the Bok which “is one of the most valuable assets” of the province.
Lawmakers belonging to the PML-N, the PPP and the JUI-F endorsed the plan after which the speaker announced the special committee.
K-P Minister for Law Imtiaz Qureshi, while giving the PTI version, said: “The party is not protecting anyone.”
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly has constituted a special parliamentary committee comprising members from all political parties to probe the Bank of Khyber (BoK) scam.
Speaking on the floor of the house on Friday, K-P Finance Minister Muzaffar Said expressed his utter helplessness as regards running the BoK despite it being a subordinate entity of the K-P finance department, as per the rules of business.
“The P&D Department (Planning and Development) is using all powers relating to the bank since the day I changed the chairman of its board of directors over violating the rights of the province,” Said told the house while replying to questions raised by the opposition.
“The officials of the P&D department are not ready to leave the unlawful possession of the bank despite the fact that the finance secretary has issued them letters,” he added.
K-P Assembly reopens Bank of Khyber case
The minister explained that he had removed former additional chief secretary P&D Dr Hammad Uwais Agha from the chairmanship of the board of directors of the bank as he assigned the slot earmarked for the government representative on the board to the private sector.
“Under the rules of business, the finance department has the power to nominate the government representative for the board but the P&D department has been putting hindrance in this regard and issuing the notification of the board of directors which has been declared illegal by the law department,” he said.
Said also raised the issue of the appointment of bank’s current managing director, saying he was appointed in violation of rules.
PTI lawmakers want Nawaz, Khattak to go
“The managing director published an advertisement against me in which he levelled baseless allegations on someone’s direction. Then he sought an apology through an advertisement and now fingers are raised at the bank’s reputation due to his incompetence and misconduct,” he said, referring an advertisement run by the bank against him in April last year.
He sought an inquiry committee to probe all issues pertaining to the bank and submit a report within 15 days.
The scam surfaced last year in April when The Express Tribune published a story in which Said expressed his unawareness about the bank’s voluntary separation scheme and negated the move of the bank.
Opposition demands K-P speaker’s resignation
Awami National Party parliamentary leader in the house Sardar Hussain Babak raised the issue in the house via an adjournment motion. Babak demanded a special committee of the assembly to probe the affairs of the Bok which “is one of the most valuable assets” of the province.
Lawmakers belonging to the PML-N, the PPP and the JUI-F endorsed the plan after which the speaker announced the special committee.
K-P Minister for Law Imtiaz Qureshi, while giving the PTI version, said: “The party is not protecting anyone.”