ZTBL President/CEO tells PAC: ‘Completed all records’ documentation, created centralised hub to save all files’

ISLAMABAD: Tahir Yaqoob Bhatti, President/CEO of the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), said on Wednesday that the ZTBL has completed documentation of records and created a centralised hub to save all files, including those containing details about loans provided to consumers and farmers.

He informed a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held here on Wednesday at the Parliament House that before 2021, the records of the files were manually maintained in the banks’ branches. This is not the case anymore. A centralised hub has been created and records have been computerized. The bank has completed all its documentation.

“Around 94 percent of the files are in the centralised hub”, President ZTBL stated.

According to him, the upcoming board meeting of the bank would discuss matters of recovery and other related issues.

The issue of the documentation of files came to light during a discussion on an audit para related to the burning of files at a regional office of the bank.

Through a video link, Chairman of PAC Naveed Qamer joined the meeting and settled audit paras related to the bank.

The PAC discussed the matter of outstanding loans in the Special Asset Management (SAM) account.

The Chairman of the PAC also inquired about the status of the forensic audit of SAM loans and asked the Auditor General of Pakistan to explain the reason behind the forensic audit. “Why has the AGP recommended the forensic audit?” he added.

The President of the Bank assured the committee of the speedy recovery of amounts involved in different audit paras and overdue loans, and full cooperation with the AGP.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025