LAHORE At a time when a team of Federal Investigation Agency is conducting an inquiry against the NFML officials involved in about Rs27 billion embezzlement and recommended registration of cases against them, the federal government removed the organizations managing director Brig (rtd) Bilal Ahmed Khan from his post on Wednesday. Sources say Shahid Ameen, the General Manager (admin) NFC, has been asked to hold additional charge of the NFML. A notification in this regard has also been issued by the Establishment Division, appointing the removed retired brigadier as a new head of the Pakistan Engineering Company Limited. Sources said the previous management, along with the FIA team, has detected the fraud, deputing several investigation teams to probe into the malpractices, and it was being expected that the loss to the national exchequer might cross Rs27 billion if impartial investigation was conducted. The decision for the removal of Mr Balal was taken a week ago when the news of embezzlement started to appear in the media. The brigadier said he was removed because he could not meet unfair demands of his political bosses. However, he did not elaborate. It may be pointed out that around 46 percent of the total 2.7 million tons imported urea worth over $1 billion, which was to reach the farmers through over 900 distributors of the NFML, was dumped en route from Karachi and Gwadar ports to the upcountry. The nexus of the NFCs present chairman Khalid Malik, farmer NFML MD Mian Ijaz, ex-secretary of Ministry of Industries Shahab Khawaja and M Shahzad, son-in-law of the former Industries and Production Federal Minister Manzoor Wattoo, along with some corrupt officers of the NMFL are responsible for causing billions of rupees loss to the kitty, stated some officials requesting anonymity. According to NFC sources, Muhammad Ijaz and other officials of National Fertilizer Marketing Ltd had set up hundreds of the stores and agencies through which the urea was sold to the farmers at exorbitant rates. Inquiry has been initiated against the real planners of this Rs27 billion fraud, including the NFC chairman, former NFML MD Mian Ijaz, ex-secretary Ministry of Industries Shahab Khawaja and a son-in-law of Manzoor Wattoo.