Govt to remove high-level officials in banks, Fawad Chaudhry

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday announced that the government had decided to remove the "illegal appointments" made by former finance minister Ishaq Dar from service.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad after a meeting of the federal cabinet, Chaudhry said it had been decided to remove several high-level officials in banks and government appointments as according to a Supreme Court decision, only the cabinet could appoint directors and heads of departments. This role had been unlawfully delegated to Dar by the previous PML-N government, the minister said.

The officials dismissed from their positions include Saeed Ahmed, the president of National Bank of Pakistan; Tahira Raza, the president of First Women Bank; Syed Talat Mehmood, the president of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited; and Ehsanul Haq Khan, the president of SME Bank.

In addition, four regulators appointed during the previous government's tenure have also been removed including: Jameel Ahmed, the deputy governor of State Bank; Shamsul Hassan, the deputy governor of State Bank; M.S Vadiya Khalil, the chairperson of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP); Dr Mohammad Saleem of CCP; and Shahzad Ansar of CCP.