Bank Orders Arrest Warrant for Female Govt Officer and Her Husband Over Alleged Cheque Fraud

A banking court has issued bailable arrest warrants for a senior Finance Division officer and her husband after they were accused of allegedly submitting a “fake” cheque to a private bank for repayment of a housing loan. JS Bank Limited filed a criminal complaint against Deputy Secretary Sehar Mannoo and her husband, Qadeer Ashfaq, invoking sections of the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance 2001 as well as the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898. According to the bank’s counsel, the couple had allegedly taken a loan of Rs. 90.5 million for the construction of their residence. The lawyer told the court that they later defaulted on the agreed repayment schedule and subsequently deposited a guarantee cheque as security. However, when the bank presented the cheque for encashment, it was returned unpaid due to insufficient funds, the lawyer stated. He argued that the accused were legally liable for prosecution and punishment for issuing a dishonoured cheque. The court noted that neither of the two appeared during the hearing on November 18. Presiding Judge Muhammad Kashif of Banking Court-III then issued bailable warrants for both suspects, setting the bail amount at Rs. 50,000 each. The judge directed the DIG Operations and the relevant SHO to ensure that the couple is produced in court on December 9. The order also instructed the complainant to assist authorities in identifying the accused.