Curbing graft: NAB to continue anti-corruption strategy in 2017

Chairman says bureau to adopt policy across the board

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau intends to curb corruption with an iron hand by adopting a zero-tolerance policy across the board for a corruption-free Pakistan.

This was stated by NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry while chairing a monthly coordination meeting to review progress on decisions taken in the previous monthly coordination meeting held at the bureau’s headquarters, said a statement released by the body on Monday.

In this regard, Chaudhry said that NAB had chalked out a proactive National Anti-Corruption Strategy to curb corruption and corrupt practices in the country.

He said that since NAB’s Anti-corruption strategy had proved to be very successful, it would continue in 2017 due to its effectiveness.

Chaudhry added that NAB hopes joint efforts of all stakeholders can collaborate to check corruption and corrupt practices before it happens with the help of all stakeholders, civil society, media and people at large.

The NAB chief added that over the past 16 years, the bureau had received around 326,694 complaints from individuals, private and public organisations.

During this period NAB has authorised 10,992 complaint verifications, 7,303 inquiries, 3,648 investigations, filed 2,667 corruption references in the respective accountability courts. He added that the bureau had an overall conviction ratio of around 76 per cent. Since NAB’s inception, he said, around Rs285 billion of ill-gotten money had been recovered which was deposited in the national exchequer.

Chaudhry said that NAB’s prime focus is on cases of cheating the public at large through fraudulent financial companies, bank frauds, willful bank loan defaults, misuse of authority and embezzlement of state funds by Government servants etc.

He said that the numbers of complaints, inquiries and investigations conducted by the bureau have nearly doubled from 2014 to 2015. The number of complaints, Chaudhry said, reflects enhanced trust the public has in NAB.

In this regard, Chaudhry said that PILDAT in its report noted that 42 per cent of people trust NAB against 30 per cent for police and 29 per cent for government officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2017.