Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Upper House of Parliament on Friday was informed that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had recovered Rs 71.220 billion during last ten years.

In a written reply, Ministry of Law and Justice said that amount recovered on account of corruption and corrupt practices was Rs 25.815 billion, while Rs 6.887 billion were recovered on account of bank default, and court fine imposed in NAB cases stood at Rs 23.003 billion.

The recovered amount was surrendered to the federal Consolidated Fund. Certain approved percentage of recovery was provided to NAB under the Para (4) of Recovery and Reward (Fund) Rules and the major portion was utilised for budgetary support requirements.

Replying to a question, Law Minster Zahid Hamid said that federal secretaries have forwarded 34 alleged cases of corruption in their departments during the last five years to the NAB. Giving details, the minister said that seven inquires and one investigation was sent to NAB (Rawalpindi), seven inquires and four investigations were sent to NAB (Lahore), three inquiries to NAB (Quetta), and nine inquires and four investigations were forwarded to NAB (Karachi).

To another question, the Senate was informed that six companies from UAE, Switzerland and Pakistan have shown interest to set up oil refineries in southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). State Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Jam Kamal told the House that the federal government in cooperation with the provincial government was facilitating private sector and hoped that progress would be made in this regard. He said average daily oil production from Kohat, Karak and Hangu districts during the current financial year remained 43,299 barrels.

Answering a question, Jam Kamal said the matter was being taken up with the elders of Darra Adamkhel for natural gas supply project through a written agreement ensuring the remaining villages would not obtain illegal pipeline network and those villages covered in the approved meterage would pay their monthly bills regularly. He said SNGPL would take the project forward.

Replying to a question, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yusuf informed the House that over Rs 5.398 billion Zakat have been disbursed to provinces during the last two years.

Answering a question, Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani said the prime minister had announced a mega housing programme namely Apna Ghar Scheme under which 1,000 cluster of five hundred houses each would be constructed throughout the country. He pointed out that land was being acquired for the scheme after approval of funds.