National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice Javed Iqbal visited NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to review its performance. NAB Director General Fayyaz Ahmed Qureshi briefed the chairman about the working and performance of the bureau.
Iqbal was told in the briefing that NAB had received 10,085 complaints from October 2017. Out of which the bureau had authorised complaint verification of 796. Currently, the complaint verification of 68 was in process. The bureau had authorised 403 inquiries, whereas currently the verification of 143 was being carried out as per law. NAB KP accorded approval for investigations of 98 complaints from October 2017. Currently, verification of 31 investigations were under underway right now. The chairman was told that NAB KP had filed 190 corruption references in various accountability courts of Peshawar from October 2017. From out of 179 references, only 25 cases of mega corruption came under its jurisdiction. The report of taking them into logical conclusion of the mega corruption has also been submitted in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The DG, KP briefed Iqbal that the provincial bureau has so far recovered Rs 0.5 billion and deposited it into the national exchequer. The bureau had also deposited the money that had been looted from people by fake housing societies.
The chairman was told about the progress in cases including, Billion Tree Tsunami, Malam Jabba Resort, Bank of Khyber and other cases and legal complications.
NAB, KP was an important regional bureau, which has played a vital role in increasing the overall performance of NAB, the chairman said. The performance of NAB KP was negating the impression that NAB’s regional bureaus were not working.
NAB was a national institute and its officers consider the elimination of corruption as their national duty. NAB had its first and last affiliation with Pakistan, and was pursuing ‘accountability for all’ policy without considering faces, he said. The business community was the backbone of the country’s economy. The bureau not only respects the community but it has decided to avoid pursuing cases of sales and income tax cases against the community, the chairman said. The ongoing cases of sales and income tax would be returned to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for further action. NAB has already established special cells at its headquarters and all regional bureaus for resolving the issues of the business community including, NAB KP. The cells had been performing their duties for the last six months, he added.
The business community, especially a delegation headed by Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Daroo Khan Achakzai had met the chairman in the headquarters, and lauded the practical efforts taken by Iqbal in resolving the issues of the business community. NAB has filed 1,210 corruption references involving corruption worth Rs 900 billion in various accountability courts. The bureau had decided to file early hearing pleas in the courts for the speedy disposal of cases. NAB was committed to ensuring upholding the self respect of every suspect. Bureaucracy had no problem with the bureau and there was no need to have any problems with NAB as it was a friendly institution, which performed its duties as per the constitution and law. NAB had no affiliation with anyone, and it respects all politicians. Corruption was the root cause of all ills, and the country would progress only after its elimination.
NAB has decided to increase the capacity of its officers by imparting refresher courses along modern lines. The bureau had also decided to improve its monitoring and evaluation system and pursuing cases in accountability courts more effectively, so that the corrupt could be taken to task. The NAB chairman said that complainants should be kept informed about the status of their complaints. He lauded the performance of NAB KP under Qureshi and hoped that the bureau would continue to work with the same spirit in the future.