ISLAMABAD: The board of directors (BoD) of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) has now accepted the resignation of company’s Chief Executive officer (CEO) Captain (retd) Jamil Akhtar Khan, it was learnt.
Interestingly, former NICL’s CEO Jamil Akhtar Khan has tendered resignation to chairman NICL board on November 27, 2017 after obtaining assurances that no action will be taken against him over the alleged irregular, unlawful and illegal recruitments in the company on senior slots made by him. However, a board of NICL, after passing almost 17 days to the submission of resignation by CEO, has now accepted it and relived him from the affairs of the company.
Well-informed sources told this scribe that NICL board has accepted the resignation of Jamil Akhtar Khan on December 13, 2017. They said NICL board was using delaying tactics in accepting the resignation of NICL chief, and, due to this, Jamil Akhtar kept running the affairs of NICL and enjoyed all perks and privileges after submitting the resignation. He even asked for Rs 10 lakh medical allowance after his removal from the top slot, they added.
“Chairman BoD of NICL has not called the meeting till December 12, 2017 but secured the consent of board members on December 13, 2017 about the acceptance of the resignation of NICL’s CEO Jamil Akhtar and relieved him immediately on the same day,” said sources.
The sources further said that BoD of NICL has leveled the playing field for Jamil Akhtar to run the company’s affairs after submitting a resignation by not summoning the meeting of NICL board.
It is interesting to note here that a summary seeking removal of NICL’s CEO was tabled on Nov 23 in a meeting of the federal cabinet on the advice of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. But it was deferred due to Jamil’s assurance that he will tender resignation soon. And, on Nov 27, he tendered notice of resignation to the chairman of NICL board. The commerce ministry, after getting a nod from the federal cabinet, finally showed the door to NICL’s CEO and nine senior officials of the company, who were recruited by Jamil. These nine appointments were later declared irregular, unlawful and illegal in different inquiries conducted by Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Available documents disclose the removal of nine irregular, unlawful and illegal appointments made by the NICL’s CEO during the last one year. The ministry has approved the removal of the nine senior officials which were initially pointed out by audit (DAC) and later the ministry of commerce constituted an inquiry committee to probe the objections raised by the audit.
As per document, NICL’s General Manager Corporate Services Col (retd) Mahmood Ahmad (BS-20), Chief Manager Abdul Waheed (BS-19), Zonal Head Lahore Lt Col (retd) Zafar Iqbal, Chief Manager Quetta Wahid Khan, Assistant General Manager (IT) Shahzad , Deputy General Manager (Reinsurance) Asad Ali Sheikh, Manager Danish Khalid, Deputy Manager Mir Ali Raza Alvi and Muhammad Salman Siddiqui have been removed from the NICL.
Earlier, commerce ministry sought removal of NICL’s CEO over alleged illegal recruitment on nine official slots from the prime minister as an audit report unearthed illegal recruitments in NICL. Upon this, the commerce ministry constituted a three-member departmental accounts committee (DAC) under trade ministry secretary. The DAC, after thorough scrutiny of documents of NICL, and analysis of the process of recruitments, has recommended initiation of inquiry to find the facts and advice to determine the response of said illegal recruitments. Later, the three-member DAC proved that illegal recruitments on responsible slots were made in violation of recruitment procedure and also by giving exemptions to the necessary conditions of recruitment, including education, experience, regional quota, and written test.
Similarly, besides recommending declaring the said nine appointments in NICL as null and void, the DAC also held NICL CEO responsible for the said illegal and unlawful recruitments. DAC also pointed out that there was no HR (human resource) manual in NICL and even the CEO could not provide the minutes of the recruitment committee which approved the recruitments of officials. Moreover, a summary of the commerce ministry sent to the premier sought removal of NICL CEO recommended the prime minister to immediately get rid of the CEO by paying him three months’ salary in advance as per the conditions of his appointment contract. The summary also suggested the PM to appoint any board member as CEO as a temporary arrangement to run the affairs of NICL. The federal cabinet made its approval to the recommendations of commerce ministry regarding the removal of NICL’s CEO and nine other senior officials.
It was also learnt that nine officials have now approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the ministry’s decision, and pleaded that the inquiry was falsely conducted. SHC has fixed a date of hearing on December 5, 2017 and directed to file a comprehensive report as well as inquiry proceedings.
“Till the next hearing, no final decision against the petitioners shall be taken by the respondent company in pursuance of the letter dated November 21, 2017, issued by Ministry of Commerce,” said SHC on November 25, 2017.
It is worth mentioning here that commerce ministry has also constituted an inquiry committee as per the directions of Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The inquiry committee concluded that the “appointments conducted on nine posts by NICL during the last one year are all illegal and may be declared null and void by the competent authority”. The PAC directed the management of NICL to implement the recommendations of inquiry committee and to terminate the contracts of nine illegal appointees with immediate effect.
