PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtun­khwa government sacked the head of the Bank of Khyber on Thursday.

A circular issued by the government-owned bank said that as decided by the competent authority, services of Saiful Islam, managing director of the Bank of Khyber, had been terminated with immediate effect.

Another circular issued by the bank said that keeping in view the prevailing situation in the bank, the management asked its employees to refrain from getting involved in activities against it, including contacts with the media.

Sources told Dawn that the decision to remove Mr Islam had been taken by the provincial cabinet earlier in the day.

Mr Islam, who had joined the bank about nine months ago, told Dawn that the provincial government had made him a scapegoat in a NAB inquiry relating to corruption charges against one of the board members.

He said the board member had earlier been investigated by the National Accountability Bureau and the State Bank of Pakistan for travelling in economy class and getting refund for business class.

This is the second incident of management crisis in the bank over the past two years.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2019