Prevention Committees: Accountability bureau to set up panels in K-P departments

NAB chief directs officers to double their efforts for eradicating corruption

ISLAMABAD: As part of its efforts to combat corruption in government departments, the National Accountability bureau is mulling setting up its prevention committees in departments of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government.

In a statement released by the bureau on Friday, NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry chaired a review meeting at the accountability body’s Headquarters.

During the meeting, Chaudhry said that in order to identify and then suggest ways and means to plug loopholes while taking measures for improving and strengthening the regulatory mechanism of federal and provincial governments for transparency, meritocracy, fair play and compliance with relevant laws, NAB had constituted prevention committees.

Such committees had already been established in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in Islamabad, the ministries of religious affairs, agriculture and national food security, national health services, Federal Board of Revenue, Press Information Department. Moreover, they had set up prevention committees in provincial departments relating to health, education, revenue and housing.

In this regard, Chaudhry pointed out how NAB’s committee in the Ministry of Religious Affairs presented its recommendations to the ministry. The recommendations were considered and then aggressively implemented by the ministry in 2106 to improve the facilities provided to Hajis and address their problems.

Chaudhry emphasised NAB’s K-P chapter to constitute prevention committees in different provincial departments in consultation with the concerned departments so that NAB can suggest recommendations for effective working.

Further, NAB officers were told to double their efforts in the eradication of corruption with the realisation that eradicating corruption was their national duty.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2017.