Bank AL Habib Limited is a group company of Dawood Habib Group, who have a long track record of banking. They were amongst the sponsors and founder members of Habib Bank Limited, which was established in Bombay in 1941. Upon creation of Pakistan, the bank shifted its Head Office to Karachi and played a vital role in meeting the banking and financial needs of the country. Habib Bank was the leading private sector bank in Pakistan, with a large network of branches in the country as well as abroad, when it was nationalized by the Government of Pakistan along with all other Pakistani banks on January 1, 1974.

In 1991, the Government of Pakistan decided to allow the private sector to establish commercial banks in the country. It was under this privatization policy that Dawood Habib Group was granted permission by the Government to set up a new commercial bank in Pakistan. Accordingly, Bank AL Habib Limited was incorporated in October 1991 and commenced operations in January 1992. Although Bank AL Habib started functioning in 1992, it embodies the same high standards of integrity, prudence, and trust which has been the hallmark of the Habib’s banking tradition for over 70 years.

This Code of Conduct aims to ensure compliance with the highest ethical and professional standards which have characterized the Habib’s banking operations over the years. The Bank places the highest priority on its corporate values and its ethical and professional standards, and requires compliance thereto by all directors and employees.

1.  Vision Statement:
"To be our customers’ most convenient and trusted bank."

2.   Mission Statement:
"To make banking safe, simple and pleasant."

3. Directors and employees of the Bank shall always be guided by the following values:

• Respect for people
• Relationships of Trust
• Service to Customers
• Simplicity in Everything
• Culture of Ownership
• Communication & Cooperation

Brief description of each of the above-mentioned values is given below:

• Respect for People

We must treat our colleagues, customers, and all other persons who come into contact with us with utmost respect, courtesy, and decency.

• Relationships of Trust

We must be worthy of the trust of people who work or do business with us. Trust is earned by acting with honesty, fairness, and prudence in all dealings and in all circumstances. Keeping promises is an essential element of trust.

• Service to Customers

We must provide the best possible service to customers. We should listen to them, anticipate their needs, solve their problems, and make it easy and pleasant for them to do business with us. We aim for continuous improvement and innovation in our products, services, and systems.

• Simplicity in Everything

We must achieve simplicity in everything we do. These include our products and services, our policies and procedures, and our way of living and behaving. Simplicity means eliminating all that is wasteful, complicated, or unnecessary, and keeping paperwork to the minimum.

• Culture of Ownership

We must take ownership of our work, personally and as a team. Ownership means willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done, instead of waiting for others to act. “It’s not my work” is never an acceptable response in a culture of ownership.

• Communication & Cooperation

We must maintain the best possible communication with colleagues and customers at all levels. Good listening is essential for good communication. Most effective communication is face-to-face. We aim for the highest level of cooperation and teamwork among ourselves.

• Treat depositors' money as a trust which must be protected.
• Achieve high level of productivity in business processes with maximum use of Information technology.
• Strive for on-going innovation in products and services.
• Emphasize speed and simplicity in deployment of new products and services.
• Focus on customer service and customer satisfaction as the key measures of performance.
• Recruit, develop, and retain high-potential people who have the same values and beliefs as ours, and find it natural to communicate and cooperate with their colleagues and customers.
• Always stay directly "connected" with colleagues and customers, and protect the organization from proliferation of paperwork and bureaucracy.

4. We fulfil our commitments towards our customers and shareholders as their custodians so as to further strengthen their trust in us.

5. We conduct all business dealings with integrity, prudence, fairness, and courtesy.

6. We aim to ensure that the interests of the Bank, its customers, shareholders, and employees are safeguarded and corporate objectives and strategies are implemented.

7. We must continually upgrade and expand our products and services to support the Bank’s growth and to anticipate and meet the changing requirements of our customers.

8. We shall avoid all such activities in which our personal interests conflict with the interests of the Bank, its customers and shareholders, and shall ensure ethical handling of any actual or apparent conflict of interest.

9. We shall always endeavour to contribute towards the betterment, development, and growth of the Bank.

10. The Bank shall regularly prepare financial reports and accounts and present the same to the Board for review and analysis.

11. The Bank shall maintain an effective Management Information System to monitor its performance and to detect early warning signals in major risk areas, and to ensure that the Bank’s records are accurate.

12. The Bank shall maintain an effective system of internal controls to mitigate risks and to ensure that assets are safeguarded.

13. The Bank shall maintain an effective internal audit system in order to ensure integrity of our operations and reliability of financial information.

14. We select and employ people based on the Bank’s recruitment policy and criteria, without any bias or prejudice of race, caste, colour, creed, gender, or religious belief.

15. We place qualified and efficient people in management positions, so that the Bank’s functions are performed effectively and are of high quality.

16. We encourage/motivate employees to perform their duties diligently for achieving optimum output and efficiency.

17. We evaluate employees’ performance and reward them on the basis of their contributions.

20. We aim to ensure that all employees work towards achievement of corporate objectives, individually and collectively as a team, and conduct themselves at work and in the society as responsible employees and citizens.

18. We aim to ensure that all employees work towards achievement of corporate objectives, individually and collectively as a team, and conduct themselves at work and in the society as responsible employees and citizens.

19. We provide training to employees at all levels for improvement in their knowledge and skills.

23. We aim to ensure that the employees possess necessary knowledge and skills and maintain an understanding of relevant provisions of applicable banking laws and regulations.

20. We work towards development of career paths of employees for planned betterment in their professional life.

21. We aim to ensure that the employees possess necessary knowledge and skills and maintain an understanding of relevant provisions of applicable banking laws and regulations.

22. We aim to ensure that all employees exercise professionalism and dedication, and utilize their experience and expertise to assist in the growth of the Bank.

23. We shall maintain complete confidentiality and (except if required by law) not disclose to any person any information as to the dealings or affairs of the Bank, or any of its customers or as to any other matter which may come to our knowledge by reason of our directorship or employment in the Bank. It is strictly prohibited to disclose to the customer or any other quarter that a suspicious transaction or related information is being or has been reported to any authority, except if required by law.

24. We shall safeguard, at all times, the interests of the Bank and serve according to the best of our skills and abilities and conform with the directives and policies of the Bank in all respects.

25. Employees shall devote their time diligently during office hours and use their best efforts to promote the business of the Bank.

26. No employee of the Bank shall:

• Undertake speculative transactions or dealings in shares, securities, or otherwise whatsoever.
• Engage in gambling, racing, betting or wagering contracts.
• Take any narcotics or similar intoxicants or engage in transactions pertaining thereto.
• Engage in any kind of personal business whatsoever.
• Participate in any political or subversive activities.
• Accept any gifts or presents from existing or prospective customers, vendors, or suppliers of the Bank.
• Engage in any illegal activities whatsoever, including any act of corruption or bribery.
• Use the premises of the Bank to engage in union activities or involve outsiders in the Bank’s union activities.
• Bring weapons in the premises of the Bank.
• Conduct union activities during office hours.
• Engage in illegal activities of political cum criminal nature which is considered as gross indiscipline and violation of legal and regulatory requirements

27. The Bank shall at all times strictly adhere to the laws of the country and fulfill all statutory requirements as laid down by the regulators and ensure timely, proper, and full payment of all applicable taxes, rates, duties and/or any other levies as may be imposed from time to time.

28. The Bank shall prepare an annual plan with clearly defined objectives, goals and strategies and implement such plans to ensure achievement of objectives and enhancement of corporate image.

29. Employees are required to report any violation of this Code, including any matters arising from unethical practices, in accordance with our “Policy on Employees’ Duty to Report”.

30. Customers and other persons dealing with the Bank should report any complaint they may have, including any violation of this Code, to the immediate supervisor of the Bank’s employee(s) with whom they have been dealing, or to the respective Zonal Office or the respective Divisional/Departmental Head at the Principal Office of the Bank. They can also visit the Bank’s website to report the complaint or the violation.

31. Employees, customers, and other persons dealing with the Bank, who report a violation or lodge a complaint, will be protected against any harassment or retaliatory action.

32. Employees must avoid any behaviour that may be termed as gender-related harassment of female staff / customers. Offensive, threatening or disturbing behaviour towards staff and customers at the workplace or in any interaction or situation that is linked to official activity outside the office would also be termed as harassment.

In this connection, reference may also be made to HR circulars, Reference No. HR-008(A) and HR-008(B) dated October 29, 2010.