National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was established in the country to frustrate negative effects of progress and prosperity. Incumbent chairman Justice Javed had chalked out a National Anti Corruption Strategy immediately after taking reins of the anti-corruption watchdog. This strategy was being acknowledged as the best strategy to cope with the menace of corruption.
Chairman had also introduced various reforms in the bureau and introduced zero tolerance policy against corruption by declaring elimination of corruption as his priority. He has recovered record Rs 71 billion directly or indirectly from the corrupt elements in the last 22 months of his tenure from Oct 2017 todate and deposited the recovered amount in the national exchequer.
NAB Sukkur has so far recovered Rs 10.656 billion directly or indirectly from the corrupt. NAB Lahore has recovered Rs 31.231 billion, NAB Balochistan has recovered Rs 0.949 billion, NAB Karachi Rs 10.861 billion, NAB Rawalpindi Rs14.653 billion, NAB Multan Rs 2.5 billion, NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rs0.5 billion and NAB Gilgit-Baltistan has recovered Rs 0.0014 billion directly or indirectly from corrupt elements and deposited in the national exchequer.
Due to hard work and management of the incumbent chairman , the bureau has emerged as an excellent anti bribery institute which has already become a model institute due to trained manpower. New investigative officers would get training from Police College Sihala. The performance of investigation and research wing would further improve after the induction of trained officers, besides improving transparency and increasing professionalism.
National Accountability Bureau has also introduced quality grading system for evaluating the annual performance of NAB officers. Under the system the officers were informed about the merits and demerits and directed to remove their shortcomings. NAB has made an effective monitoring and evaluation system which improved overall working of the bureau. NAB has also set 10 months period for filing reference right from complaint verification to conducting inquiry. All process should be completed within 10 months period.
The basic aim of transforming NAB in to citizen Friendly institution was to inform the complainant about progress in resolving his complaint. This would help creating transparency and responsibility, besides promoting both transparency and responsibility in the bureau.
Investigation and Prosecution divisions have been made more effective with the induction of new law officers. Due to training and value addition, the conviction ratio of NAB was 70 percent.
The bureau has filed 1219 corruption references having corruption volume of Rs 900 billion in various accountability courts. NAB has received 43,000 applications in Mudarba/ Musharka references. The bureau has so far apprehended 44 suspects besides recovering Rs 616 million, 6,000Kanal land,10 houses, 12 precious vehicles and 32 references have also been filed in different accountability courts so that the looted amount could be recovered from the suspects and returned to the affectees. NAB has also returned the amount to people by different housing societies.
Bureaucracy was the backbone of any country. It has most important role in progress and prosperity of any country. It has vital role in running governance system. Justice Javed Iqbal had addressed the bureaucracy in Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar and frustrate the impression that bureaucracy has left workings. Justice had proved that bureaucracy has negligible ratio in corruption cases. Chairman had made clear that all were equal before the law and a suspect is innocent until proven guilty. NAB is a law abiding institution and firmly believes in resolving the issues as per law. Bureaucracy thanked the chairman over his remarks.
Business community has significant role in country’s progress and prosperity, said the chairman NAB adding that business community has important role in economic development of a country. Prosperous businessmen means prosperous Pakistan. NAB has established special desks for resolving issues of business community. A director has been deputed the centres to facilitate business community. Chairman has also decided to refer cases related to sales and income tax to Federal Board of Revenue for further investigations and announced not taking such cases in future.
Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Daroo Khan Achakzai had thanked the chairman NAB and assured that business community has full trust over NAB.
The credit of all these successes of NAB goes to chairman NAB’s teamwork policy to deal with all cases on merit and honesty. He believes elimination of corruption was his national duty. The decrease in corruption index was the result of teamwork of NAB. NAB has established forensic laboratory in Islamabad which has modern facilities available including digital forensic, finger prints, documents, etc. The basic aim of establishing forensic laboratory was to equip it with modern gadgets and improving inquiry and investigation facilities of the bureau, saving time, ensuring secrecy of its workings. Due to excellent work of the chairman positive results has already started pouring in. it is hoped that NAB would continue its actions against the corrupt elements without any discrimination. This will ensure corruption free Pakistan and put the country to the road to development and prosperity.
