Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Corruption is mother of all evils which is one of major hurdle in the way of Progress and prosperity of the country. NAB is absolutely committed to eradicate corruption by adopting “Accountability for All” policy through Zero Tolerance and Self Accountability across the board. Being apex anti-corruption organization, NAB was established in 1999 to eradicate corruption and recover looted money from corrupt. Today NAB is role model institution among SAARC countries and its performance has appreciated by all reputed national and international organizations like PILDAT, Mishal Pakistan, Transparency International and World Economic Forum.

NAB since its inception has recovered over Rs 289 billion from the corrupt and deposited in the national exchequer which is record achievement by any anti-corruption organization in the world. Moreover, NAB’s conviction ratio is 76 percent and NAB is the only organization in Pakistan which has exemplary conviction ratio. This is just because of the proactive Anti-Corruption Strategy of Awareness, Prevention and Enforcement adopted by NAB and involving all segments of society especially youth to aware them about the ill effects of corruption at an early age. Today, NAB is the only organization who has established 55 thousands Character Building Societies of students throughout the country. Due to this reason, today eradication of corruption is the voice of the whole nation and NAB under the dynamic leadership of Honorable Justice Mr. Javed Iqbal, Chairman NAB is fully geared up and perfected its procedures to come up to the expectations of the nation for corruption free Pakistan.

Both opposition and ruling party had appointed Honorable Justice Mr. Javed Iqbal Chairman NAB with consensus. Honorable Justice Javed Iqbal Chairman NAB believes NAB is not for victimization against anyone. NAB would not be used to take revenge from anyone. He urged NAB officials to complete inquiries and investigations strictly on merit that too without caring about any duress or favor.

In last four months, Chairman NAB had taken notice of various complaints and ordered inquiries on issues including corruption reports in Multan Metro Project, corruption reports in 56 public limited companies, Existence of 435 offshore companies of Pakistanis in Panama and British Virgin Islands, Corruption in construction, expansion of Kachhi Kanal, return of housing societies’ plundered money reports, arrest of 15 absconders. RDA, ICT and CDA have started placing details of illegal housing societies on website and also inform the people through advertisements. Furthermore, the Chairman has started listening public complaints on every last Thursday of the month and directed DGs of Regional Bureaus to listen public complaints related to corruption in their respective Regional Bureaus. The same order was conveyed to all DGs and they have listened the complaints of citizen at their respective bureaus. The response from citizen was very encouraging and they appreciated the initiative of Chairman NAB for opening the doors of NAB for general public. Chairman NAB had also summoned three Executive Board meetings and authorized filing of references in various Accountability courts after due deliberation. Country owed $84 billion while mobile companies were not paying approximately taxes amounting to Rs 400 billion to FBR. NAB has pointed out to FBR to take up the issue.

Chairman NAB had also ordered inquiry against former MPA Jawad Kamran and Sardar Ahmed Ali Dareshik, MPA. NAB ordered inquiry against Quetta Metropolitan Corporation, Provincial Forest Minister Balochistan, Obaidullah Jan Babat, Sindh Secretary Health Dr Fazalullah Pechhu, IG Railway Dr. Mujeebur Rehman, Gwadar Industrial Estate Development Authority for alleged corruption. Chairman NAB also took notice of wastage of money in Pakistan Steel Mills, sale of PIA aircraft on cheaper rates and authorized filing of a reference against Lt. Gen Retd Javed Ashraf Qazi, former secretary, chairman Railways, former minister for Railways and Communication, Lt Gen Retd Saeed Uz Zafar, former secretary, chairman railways and Major Gen Retd Hamid Hassan Butt, former General Manager, Pakistan Railways, Iqbal Samad Khan , former GM PR. Khursheed Ahmed Khan, former member PR, Brig. Retd Akhtar Ali Baig, former director Abdul Ghaffar, Ramzan Shaikh, Director Husnain Construction Company, Pervaiz Latif Qureshi, Chief Executive Unicon Consulting Services, Datu Muhammad Bin Kasa Bin Adda Aziz. Director Max Corp, Development Malaysia and others for misuse of authority and causing over Rs 2 billion losses to national exchequer. A reference was authorized against Tariq Hameed, former Chairman WAPDA ,Muhammad Anwar Khalid, former Member Power WAPDA, Muhammad Mushtaq, former Member Water WAPDA , Imtiaz Anjum, former Member Finance WAPDA and others for misuse of authority and award of contract to150MW Rental Power Project to M/s General Energy Pvt Limited in violation of NEPRA, PPRA and ECC rules thus causing billion of rupees loss to national exchequer. An investigation against former Chairman CDA Farkhand Iqbal, Member Estate Khalid Mehmood Mirza, and others for alleged misuse of authority and selling of CDA plots on through away rates thus causing loss of Rs. 494.333 million to the national exchequer. Two separate investigations against former Provincial Minister Abdul Rauf Siddiqui, Muhammad Adil Siddiqui and Dr. Sarvat Fahim, Mushtaq Ali Leghari, Mehmood Ahmed, Ghulam Nabi Mehar, Abdul Haye Dhamra, Syed Imdad Ali Shah, Syed Umeed Ali Shah and others for misuse of authority and causing losses up to national exchequer of Rs. 435.4 million. The above mentioned accused persons were alleged for devouring government funds and making illegal appointments in Sind Small Industry Corporation. Iinquiry was authorized against former Director General Peshawar Development Authority Sahibzada Saeed Ahmed, Syed Zahir Shah, former DG, Sareer Muhammad, Director General, Muhammad Tariq, former General Manager, Abdul Haleem Piracha, former Director General and others for misuse of authority in allotment of plots and adjacent land in violation of rules causing losses of Rs.75.27 million to national exchequer, inquiry against Tehmash Khan, former MPA for having assets beyond known sources of income and inquiry against Rehmat Baloch, Health Minister Balochistan and others for having assets beyond known sources of income.

Likewise chairman ordered inquiry against MNA captain Retd Safdar, and former Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani. Chairman NAB ordered inquiry against local NGOs and INGOs on the reports of alleged embezzlement.

Honorable Justice Mr. Javed Iqbal, Chairman NAB during four months has rejuvenated NAB by adopting Accountability for All” policy across the board. Today NAB’s performance is being lauded by all segments of society as Chairman NAB believes that actions are lauders than words. Due to this reason, he is considered man of action.

Published in Daily Times, February 25^th 2018.