With impunity: G-B lacks officers to tackle complaints

There are no Grade-21 officers to look into complaints against their Grade-20 counterparts

GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan lacks a government official senior enough to investigate complaints against other top officials.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director General Zahir Shah shared these views while speaking to journalists at his office on Thursday.

“Not a single Grade-21 official is present in Gilgit-Baltistan to investigate complaints against secretaries of Grade-20,” Shah said.

He said the accountability system in G-B was weak and will improve with the passage of time.



According to the DG, NAB was currently working on 23 complaints launched by the public against officials. He said 13 officials were arrested by the bureau from the region.

He said four cases have been sent to court, while the reference of two others will be filed in a day or two.

Shah said the four men were involved in a high-profile case and had completed their jail terms. He added their properties would be sold off to compensate the aggrieved parties.



As per the DG, the bureau had worked independently and free of pressure. The DG added the regional government was extending its support to them. Shah added investigation had been initiated against former education minister Ali Madad Sher for his alleged involvement in corrupt practices during the previous government.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2016.