ISLAMABAD :October 13, 2022: A mega financial scam in Pakistan Air Lines (PIA) has finally landed in Public Account Committee (PAC) of the parliament, seeking action against Fawad Banuri , ex-general manager sales in Islamabad , and his accomplices for recovery of embezzled money.
Sources said Fawad Banuri , a rogue but influential employee of PIA, colluded with Royal Air Travels (RAT) ,a local PIA ticketing agent based in Blue Area Islamabad , and in violation of his authority sold out tickets to this agent of worth around Rs 30 million. Mr Fawad Banuri’s lust for money could be guessed by one factor that he kept on selling tickets to RAT when its outstanding amount was 5 times more than its cash security as ticketing agent. By February 16, 2022, RAT was defaulter of Rs 22.7 million of PIA and its cash guarantee was only Rs 6 million , but Fawad Banuri , continued to misuse his authority and kept it selling tickets of millions of rupee.
Interestingly, PIA Islamabad office remained totally silent over money-making drive of Fawad Banuri until he retired as PIA employee in 2021. PIA management in Islamabad office make sure that Fawad Banuri goes scot free with Rs 22.7 million financial scam. Soon after his retirement, PIA management in Islamabad moved an application to the local police but never followed the case with the police to take action against Fawad Banuri and recover looted money from him .
Interestingly, PIA management in Islamabad intentionally misdirected the case against Fawad Banuri and instead referring it to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) routed it to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in March 2022, knowingly that a case of Rs 30 million does not fall in the ambit of this investigating agency . The result of sending the case to NAB was as per intention of those in PIA office Islamabad who wanted to protect the accused at any cost . The NAB return the complaint to PAI office with its comments that this financial scam does not fall in its ambit
Fawad Banuri’s scam has taken a new turn as an individual who introduced himself as Amjad Sharif has written a letter to president , Dr Arif Alvi, PAC, the minister for Aviation and other high offices to disclose that Fawad Banuri was also involved in a scam of award of tickets to his in-laws and family members of worth millions. The whistle blower has demanded quick action against the gang headed by Fawad Banuri to recover embezzled money of the national flag carrier.
NEWSMAN approached to PIA Islamabad office to get its side of the story. Mr Abdullah Hafeez, GM public relations who claimed to be a PIA spokesperson also , confirmed the fraud committed by Fawad Banuri in collusion of RAT . He, however, claimed that PIA has recovered Rs 20 million from RAT by encashing its cash security and refunding some of tickets, but he had no answer as to why PIA Islamabad sent the case against Fawad Banuri to NAB when it did not fall in its ambit rather than sending it to a right forum—FIA for action against the accused.
