Daily Times

Deputy Chairman NAB, Mr. Sohail Nasir, along with Director General (DG) NAB Lahore, Mr. Amjad Majeed Aulakh called on Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly, Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar, to extent a comprehensive briefing on the establishment, mandate and operations of the Accountability Facilitation Cell (AFC).

According to the details, during his visit to the Dy Speaker of Punjab Assembly at his office, Sohair Nasir briefed about the newly drafted Accountability Facilitation Cell (AFC) which will operate under the supervision of the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly and will be managed by a Grade 20 officer. Any complaint filed with NAB against a member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) will first be referred to the Accountability Cell for initial scrutiny. After this initial investigation, the cell will send the complaint back to NAB, through the Speaker, for further action.

Deputy Chairman NAB, Sohail Nasir explained that the purpose of establishing the Accountability Facilitation Cell is to enhance coordination between the Assembly and NAB regarding complaints against MPAs, thereby fostering trust between both Institutions. He also stated that NAB will no longer take action on any anonymous or pseudonymous complaints against members of the Provincial Assembly.

Additionally, if NAB officials require further investigations into an MPA, the NAB team will visit the Assembly at the inquiry level. Progress on cases or complaints against MPAs will be coordinated directly between the Regional Director General NAB and the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly.

Deputy Chairman NAB further emphasized the directives issued by Chairman NAB, Lieutenant General (R) Nazir Ahmed, which call for upholding the dignity and personal respect of MPAs during the investigation process. Both the identities of complainants and MPAs will be kept confidential during the initial stages of the Inquiry. According to the Chairman’s vision, NAB is promoting transparency and accountability within the bureaucracy, business community, and esteemed parliament.

During the event, Deputy Chairman NAB Sohail Nasir presented the draft of the Accountability Facilitation Cell, while DG NAB Lahore, Amjad Majeed Aulakh, presented a shield to the Deputy Speaker. In return, the Deputy Speaker honored the Deputy Chairman and DG NAB Lahore with commemorative shields and assured them of full cooperation from the Speaker’s Office in the future. He also expressed his commitment to strengthening the relationship between the Punjab Assembly and NAB. Furthermore, the efforts of NAB Lahore under the leadership of DG NAB Amjad Majeed Aulakh were highly appreciated.