Daily Times

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal on Sunday said that the business community’s income and sales tax-related cases would be referred to the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR).

Speaking at the NAB Headquarters, he said that the accountability watchdog would not take suo motu action against bank defaulters; rather the same would be referred to the banking courts for appropriate action as per law.

He said the business community was the backbone of the country’s progress and NAB was ready to solve their problems.

He said that the NAB “respects the business community”. Special cells were established at the NAB Headquarters and all the regional offices of the NAB to resolve their grievances, he said. He said a committee would be made having representation of the business community for resolving their issues and hopefully the community would have no complaint against the NAB. “The committee will have a consultative role to assist the NAB to help solve the problems of the business community.” He said that he was ready to withdraw the cases against housing societies if they provided the promised plots and apartments to the victims within eight weeks. He said that action was being taken against illegal private housing societies as they had looted the life earned money of innocent people and did not provide them promised plots. He said that the NAB would proceed against housing societies that had deprived widows, pensioners and innocent people of their life savings. The looted amount would be returned to the aggrieved people, he said.

“Billions of rupees have already been returned to the affectees of housing societies by the NAB.” He said that he had met representatives of the business community in Lahore a few days ago and briefed them on the steps taken for addressing their problems. “We have established special cells but in the last five months no complaint from the business community has been received.” He said three main businessmen had even written appreciation letters to the NAB.

“History of corruption is that the father of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah said in his speech in 1947 that corruption and nepotism were the two big issues of Pakistan. Corruption plays pivotal in downfall of any country. Strong economy is the basic ingredient for the progress of any country and strong economy. This ensures strong defence and stability in the country. Without a strong economy, the country can never be made strong,” he said.

Justice (r) Iqbal said that the NAB was a human friendly organisation and had not authorised any tax evasion case since 2017, and no plans to do so in the future. “Such cases will be referred to the FBR for further proceeding.”

He said the NAB never takes action against bank default cases, but only the State Bank under 31-D refers such cases to the NAB. “Action starts after failure of settlement between client and the bank.” He said that the NAB had never taken unilateral action in bank default cases. “Normally, such cases are sent to banking courts. The NAB is not harassing any honest, law abiding business community member, who is providing jobs to hundreds of workers and playing an active role in the development of the country as per law,” he said.

He said that no NAB official would telephone any businessman, and if necessary, the NAB director general would send a notice, and also write reasons for sending it. “In case of an unsatisfactory reply the businessmen would not be summoned but sent a questionnaire and will be summoned if answers of questionnaire remained unsatisfactory.” He said the complaint cells in NAB headquarters and regional bureaus had the mandate to resolve traders’ complaints within 48 hours, but alas not a single complaint had been received. It was told that in case of failure the chairman would himself resolve the grievance of the businessmen. He will fix a special day for listening to the grievances of the business community members. He will visit each and every region for listening businessmen problems.

He urged the media to publish/air NAB-related news after obtain official point of view of NAB, and avoid speculations. He said that NAB welcomes positive criticism in which solution of the problem will be given so that if it will be appropriate as per law would be looked into positively. A section of press has made a habit to criticise NAB sans any cogent reason, majority of such segment did not know NAB Ordinance/laws. A senior reporter on every mega reference pleading not guilty which is against the journalists ethics as that section of media could not perform the duties of judiciary.