Daily Times

Chairman National Accountability Bureau, retired Justice Javed Iqbal on Thursday said NAB is an anti-corruption institution, which has no affiliation with any political party, individual or group but state of Pakistan.

The Chairman said that taking mega corruption cases to logical conclusion is NAB’s top most priority as it is strictly pursuing the policy of accountability for all, highlighting that since its inception, the bureau has recovered Rs 790 billion whereas Rs 487 billion alone has been recovered in the last three years.

This was expressed during NAB’s Executive Board Meeting (EBM) held at its headquarters in Islamabad with Chairman NAB in the chair.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chairman NAB, Prosecutor General Accountability, DG Operations NAB, DG NAB, Rawalpindi and other senior officers of NAB.

Justice Iqbal said the Bureau respects the business community and performs its duties without caring about any pressure. The detractors should better concentrate on defending their cases in courts instead of criticising the bureau where law will take its course.

Chairman said the bureau is making sincere efforts to recover looted amounts by illegal housing societies and modarba scam. NAB’s performance has been lauded by reputed national and international organisations especially Transparency International Pakistan, PILDAT, Mishal Pakistan which is an honour for NAB.

Referring to the EBM, Justice Iqbal maintained that it is a year-long policy of NAB to share the details of its Executive Board Meeting with the public which does not aim to hurt the feelings of anyone as all inquiries and investigations are initiated on the basis of alleged allegations, which are not final. NAB is a public friendly institution, he remarked.

He added that the bureau only decides to go ahead with cases after assessing the merits of the cases and after knowing the flip side of the coin.

The EBM authorised filing four references against former secretary land utilisation, Sindh, Ghulam Mustafa Phal and others on allegations of illegally allotting state land at district Malir by abusing authority that caused Rs 12 billion losses to national exchequer.

EBM also Okayed filing corruption reference against Saqib Soomro and others on the accusations of illegally allotting state land by abusing their authority that inflicted Rs 1.5 billion losses to national exchequer. The EBM authorised filing supplementary corruption reference against former chairman Pakistan Steel Mills Moin Aftab Sheikh and others. They are accused of inflicting Rs 434.468 million losses through corrupt practices and abuse of authority.

The forum okayed filing of other references against former managing director PEPCO Rasool Khan Mehsood and others for causing heavy losses to public exchequer by abusing authority. The EBM of the National Accountability Bureau authorised some 12 inquiries against various personalities including Vice Chancellor, Mehan University of Engineering and Science and Technology, Jam Shoro. Dr Muhammad Aslam Aqili , Officials/officers of Labour Department, Sindh , Messers Sky Rooms Limited Company, Messers Lucky Cement,officials/officers of Land Utilisation Department, former chief Commissioner Income Tax, Hyderabad Muhammad Ali Sand, chairmen Sindh Public Service Commission Noor Muhammad Jadmani, member Sindh Public Service Commission Ejaz Ali Khan Durrani,others,Acting vice chancellor , Sindh University campus, Badin ,Professor Dr Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro and others, chief engineer South,PWD, Divisional Accounts officer Ikram ul Haq,Divisional Accounts officer Zafar Iqbal, Xen, Pak P.W.D.,Karachi Siraj Nizam, former secretary Land Utilisation Department Ghulam MUSTAFA Phal, Gul Muhammad Jakhrani , officers and officials of Board of Revenue , former Principal Secretary to former governor , Sindh Mumtazur Rehman, officers and officials of Sindh Building Control Authority, director Schools Education , Abdul Wahab Abbasi and others for conducting inquiry against them.

The EBM approved conducting five investigations against several accused persons including officers and officials of Sindh Coal Authority,Messers Pak Oasis and others,Syed Nusrat Shaukat and others. Three investigations are okayed against Superintendent Engineer, RBOD, Circle, Hyderabad Imran Sheikh,officers / officials of Irrigation Department and others.

It also authorised closing inquiries against owners/managers of Krack Merina Project, Karachi and others, former chairman NICL and Officers/ officials of SBCA Master Plan Department Sindh, Messers Haba Builders, Karachi and others due to absence of evidence. Transferring of investigations against officials of Customs department, Karachi to FBR after completion of plea bargain deal, was also okayed in the meeting.