ISLAMABAD: The Auditor General is initiating an inquiry into the National Bank of Pakistan’s claim of 600,000 ghost pensioners.
This was revealed by Auditor General Rana Assad Amin during a meeting with the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee. He said that the special audit of military and civilian pensioners will be completed within a month and a report will be presented to the parliamentary committee.
NBP President Ashraf Iqbal had claimed that the country’s second largest bank had identified 600,000 ghost pensioners during the process of automating bank accounts. However, he blamed media for over playing the story and the facts were misreported.
“These 600,000 pensioners are not receiving pensions from NBP anymore. They could have gone to other banks, might have died or might not be able to fulfil NBP’s requirements for opening the bank accounts,” Ashraf told the committee.
PAC Chairman Khursheed Shah, dismissing the NBP President’s statement, said, “These are your perceptions.”
The PAC also directed the NBP to present a list of loans that it has written off during the past few years. It also ordered a review of the bank’s board of directors’ powers to write off loans.
