Daily Times

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Javed Iqbal visited the NAB Lahore office on Wednesday.

Justice Javed Iqbal (retd) has directed the NAB Lahore to start legal proceedings for early arrest of absconders and proclaimed offenders nominated in the cases.

The chairman issued the directives during his visit to the NAB Lahore office Wednesday. He was briefed by DG NAB Lahore and Combined Investigation Teams (CITs) over the NAB Lahore performance particularly on the updates in all mega corruption scandals.

The cases included inquiry against Excise & Taxation Department officers and officials for issuance of illegal liquor licence to a private hotel, updates in money-laundering reference against former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and family, inquiry against Noorul Amin Mengal and LDA’s ex-DG accused Ahad Khan Cheema for allegedly changing Lahore’s master plan, case against former provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah for allegedly making assets disproportionate to known sources of income, investigation against provincial minister Abdul Aleem Khan etc.

During the briefing, the NAB Chairman directed the NAB Lahore teams to pursue all cases while following merit and to bring these cases to their logical conclusion. He maintained that NAB had direly been struggling to root out corruption from the country.

He said the NAB believed in impartial working against corrupt elements, adding that NAB Officers did not have any affiliation with any party or group except Pakistan.

Justice Iqbal also directed the Lahore bureau to expedite cases against illegal housing societies and ensure recovery of the public’s looted money. He also ordered the arrest of all absconders and proclaimed offenders.

He directed all officers to treat and complete complaint verifications, inquiries and investigations according to law so that corrupt elements could be brought to justice.