MORE LOYAL THAN THE KING

MORE LOYAL THAN THE KING

The king is dead……………………… long live the king……………………………

In my last e-mail titled creating a Guinness book of word record http://punctiliouspakistani.blogspot.com/2011/10/creating-guinness-book-of-world-records.html

I casually mentioned about the corrupt country head establishment division of Aksari Bank Limited.

In response I received many e-mails and telephone calls emphasizing upon me to clear my position as regards my opinion about this gentleman, secondly some of my readers criticized me for my English jargon (sorry for that).

Most of the callers were of the opinion that this gentleman was very religious, introvert, shy, soft spoken with a Mona Liza smile on his face and keeps a very low profile. How can such a person be incompetent or corrupt? Dr. Sahib …………….you must be wrong…

Many critics were flummoxed and apprehensive that this time I had fired from the hip with out any proof and may be put on the mat.

Well it has been my idiosyncrasy since the time I left the Pakistan Army in 1983, that without proof I do not write or say anything and do my home work before any verbal oratory or written communication.

Well this email is in response to the multiple queries / questions raised by many of my friends on the net and in Askari Bank.

Brig (R) Mohammad Ifzal Country head Establishment Division, Askari Bank, joined Askari Bank on 19^th September, 2008 on behest of the brother of President Askari Bank Mr. M.R Mehkari, that is Lt. Col (R) Mehkari who is serving in a private Security Company in Lahore and happens to be a friend of Brigadier Ifzal who had served together in the mid 80’s in the Pakistan Army in Skurdu in the northern areas. He is the person who had him inducted in the bank in the first place with in a short span of time after his leaving the Pakistan Army.

He was taken as 2^nd in Command of Establishment division, later on 30^th October 2008 Mr. Israr Ahmed was dismissed from service and the incumbent Brigadier ® Ifzal was made the acting Country Head Establishment Division. In the history of banking this is a record that a non-banker was confirmed especially as a permanent employee at the age of 57 years (+) in 2010 and now the individual has less than 2 years of service more to go.

In December 2008 much to the bewilderment and astonishment of banking circles / employees of Askari bank, he was made the permanent Country head of Establishment Division in Askari Bank. In February 2010 the officer at the age of 57 years (then) was made S.V.P and inducted as a regular employee and continues to serve as Country Head Establishment Division Askari Bank till date (that is an irony of fate).

After carrying out a detailed investigations, scrutiny and survey at Askari bank branches nation wide the following irregularities have been brought to my attention and observed by me.

1. The C.C.T.V Camera’s installed at Askari Bank branches from Fujiya Split Company are of very inferior quality, have very low quality resolution, inferior polarization optics, lack refractory lens coating, have low diffraction, have limited range and depth of focus and are full of chromatic and spherical aberration. The result is that facial features, vehicle number plates and chest name tags are not identifiable / recordable even at a close range. This was done only to get kick backs in the deal. The robbery which occurred in federal – B area in Karachi, this year the footage which is a part of the police investigations is so undecipherable that nothing can be made out of it.

http://punctiliouspakistani.blogspot.com/2011/10/daring-dacoity-in-federal-b-area-sub.html

I wrote the above letter (Link) to the secretary AKBL on 29^th July 2011, highlighting the poor quality of the footage which gave a bad press to the bank. No action was taken by the Bank Management or the Country Head Establishment division to my letter and it seems that my advice fell on deaf ears. This is a glaring example of the inefficiency of these C.C. T.V cameras. Compare these C.C.T.V cameras which have been installed country vide in Askari Bank with those installed in Standard Chartered bank and Habib Bank limited with the same amount. Your guess as good as mine who pocketed the facilitation money.

2. Most of the Askari Bank ATM’S are not connected with the main branch D.V.R and thus endangering the smooth functioning of the branches. This is a basic requirement of State Bank of Pakistan thus the standing order of procedures laid down by S.B.P have not been followed.
3. The Country Head Establishment carries out tours in various parts of the country in order to fulfill his private commitments and discourages the other subordinates / managers like procurement & premises who should really actually be visiting the sites and branches.
4. He has kept violating the basis S.O.P of procurement as he has only kept one contractor for each item like for furniture it is decent furniture Peshawar road Rawalpindi, for generator it is PAKTEK and for C.C.T.V it is Fujiya split. For Interior decoration AWT plaza is done by Tauqeer or Ahsan Jan Limited for Karachi it is concept (Mehkari’s old linkage) for Lahore it is FUZZ for Rawalpindi branches it is Ahsan Interiors.
5. Apart from banking affairs there are very clear examples with proofs what the executive has been pursuing and accomplishing his private affairs using bank staffs and facilities at his disposal (I will not touch upon them at the moment now)
6. He does not have the faintest idea about the Banking Rules, procedure, S.O.PS and totally relies on his contractors or his Admin Manager. Was there a dearth of competent SVP’s in the bank that a person without experience and competence was made Country Head Establishment Division?
7. The Executive is using Bank vehicles illegally. The examples can be taken that on his sons wedding on 29^th July 2011, (the day robbery occurred in Karachi) the bank protocol vehicles were used without payment from 20^th July to 15^th August 2011, this was all done at the expense of the poor shareholders money. The petrol bill was about Rs. 21, 000/- (Twenty One thousand only) and paid from the bank expenses. His son used Vehicle no.ISB-ME-124, make Toyotta Corolla, model 2005 for his honeymoon in Nathia gali and Murree for more than 4 (four) days.
8. Three (3) days prior to the wedding on 27^th July two APV Vans No ISB-MS-134 & ISB-ME-136, vehicles were used around the clock for various marriage functions which were held on 28^th / 29^th July respectively. All bank drivers were involved in this scenario and can be confirmed from the vehicles log book and the drivers name Satti, Wilayat, Khadim etc. This indicates the honesty level of the incumbent officer.

All relevant contractors were attending all the function of his Sons wedding and furniture of the house of the individual was made by the decent furniture on a very very subsidized rates.

Lastly less his department heads and one two other person / juniors, he has been very unfair in his dealings with his own staff and has been giving accelerated ACR’s to incompetent people who were pliable and placable to his demands at the cost of others who were competent but upright and did not toe his line.

During the course of the working hours of the day 80% of the time he is involved in his own personal dealing on the mobile / telephone and gives only about 20% time to the banks job requirements in addition to this he is totally unclear about banks procedure and policies the repercussion of those will become evident in due course of time.

He is like a minion to the president who has kept his eyes closed to his incompetence.

Such state of affairs can not go on for long and if we want to save the bank from further deterioration and collapse the above individual must be given marching orders to save the bank this means he has got two (2) years more of service to ruin the bank or what ever is left of it.

In my last e-mail I emphasized upon the President Askari Bank that he should resign immediately. In response to this president Askari Bank has not resigned so far but the news is that he has under taken the first step in this regard by cleaning his safe deposit lockers and his personal bank accounts.

It is hopefully envisaged that country head establishment division Brig ® Mohammad Ifzal will follow the norms of dignity and self respect by resigning from the bank immediately..

I have my doubts about that because in the history of Pakistan except for one or two God fearing up right individuals of honesty and integrity no one has resigned from their posts but have clung to it like leeches and vultures as will be done by country head establishment division Brig ® Mohammad Ifzal…

Only Time will prove whether I was right or wrong………….

Dr. Babur Zahiruddin

Share holder

Askari Bank