We are committed to recovering looted money: NAB chief

Says bureau also playing its role at SAARC Anti-Corruption Forum

MULTAN: Eradication of corruption is a national duty and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is committed to recovering looted money from corrupt elements and depositing it into the national exchequer.

This was said by NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry during his farewell visit to Multan bureau on Friday. He said that he spent valuable time at the NAB as its chairman and took steps to rejuvenate the apex anti-corruption body for eradication of corruption.



He described corruption as the mother of all evils. He said the PILDAT, Transparency International, and World Economic Forum appreciated Pakistan for the new initiatives taken by the NAB under his tenure.

Qamar Zaman maintained that under his guidance and supervision, the NAB perfected its procedures to make it more effective and proactive in order to come up to expectations of the nation.



He pointed out the NAB was committed to root-out corruption in all its forms and manifestations with an iron hand. He said NAB’s performance remained excellent in comparison to other anti-corruption organisations.

The NAB chief lauded the efforts of the officers for performing duties in odd hours with absolute professional approach, maintaining transparency and according to the law. He said the NAB recovered almost Rs50 billion during the last four years from corrupt elements and deposited it in the national exchequer.

He said that NAB was also playing its role at SAARC Anti-Corruption Forum and it was the only organisation in the world which inked an MoU with China to streamline cooperation in the field of anti-corruption and to oversee projects to be undertaken under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

He said NAB had established its first forensic science laboratory in Islamabad which had facilities of digital forensics, questioned documents and fingerprint analysis. He said the NAB had rationalised its workload and timelines had been prescribed for efficient and effective disposal of cases.



He elaborated that NAB also introduced a new system of Combine Investigation Team (CIT) in order to benefit from experience and collective wisdom of senior officers.

“CIT will not only bring quality to the work but would ensure that no single individual can influence the proceedings,” he said.

He appreciated the performance of NAB Multan and urged officers to work more diligently and honestly to curb corruption.

On the occasion, Multan NAB DG Atiqur Rahman said that the Multan bureau had been successful in bringing social and cultural change. He said, “Processing of 5,200 complaints was an evidence of our success story.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2017.