NAB halts arrests, offers politicos breather till election day

Anti-corruption watchdog decides to pause inquiries against PML-N leaders

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) announced on Wednesday it will put all arrests on hold till the Election Day (July 25) and cease all ongoing anti-corruption inquiries against all politicians, especially those who are in the run for the polls.

The bureau also announced halting probes into cases pending against former foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif and other PML-N’s former provincial and state ministers. All investigation, the bureau said, would resume after July 25.

“NAB wants to make it clear that it has nothing to do with politics and elections. The decision to put off investigations into pending cases against politicians has been made to reflect this fact,” said a press release issued after the bureau’s executive board held a meeting here.

Several decisions were accorded approval during this decision.

However, a NAB spokesperson clarified that after due diligence, the bureau would comply with all court orders in letter and spirit during the same period.



He said that NAB’s executive board was its highest decision-making authority and it decided to show restraint in ongoing cases till elections to dispel the impression of alleged prejudice wrongly attributed to the bureau in pending corruption cases.

“The executive board reviewed cases of former foreign minister Khawaja Asif, former state minister Rana Muhammad Afzal, former provincial minister Rana Mashhood and former MNA Rai Mansab and decided to delay their cases till elections … to enable them to participate in elections,” the press statement read.

The executive board had decided to put all these cases on hold because no breakthroughs were expected till July 25, the spokesperson said.

“It’s a decision in principle. But if deemed necessary, action will be taken in accordance with the law,” he said.



This decision was vehemently opposed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

PTI’s spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said: “This is in clear violation of the country’s existing laws that do not bar any institution from arresting any individual (found to be) involved in corruption just because he or she is contesting elections”.

Terming the decision strange, he said that NAB needed to revisit its decree.

“Under which law, people involved in serious crimes, such as corruption, are given leverage?” Fawad Chaudhry wondered.

“Politics subjected to conciliation is understandable but subjugation of law to any compromise leads to anarchic trends,” he said.

He urged NAB to continue its quest of bringing all individuals involved in looting the national exchequer in the dock of law without any discrimination.

A probe into allegations of money laundering is currently pending against Khawaja Asif at NAB. The bureau is probing a case of land grabbing against former minister of state for finance Rana Muhammad Afzal, while Rai Mansab and Rana Mashhood are facing inquiries relating to corruption and corrupt practices.

Billion-Tree Tsunami

Meanwhile, the executive board authorized launching an inquiry against officials of the previous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government allegedly involved in corruption running into several billions of rupees in the ‘Billion Tree Tsunami’ project.

In March this year, the bureau had ordered to verify a complaint of corruption in the project.

“After verification of the complaint, it has been decided to formally initiate an inquiry to ascertain the facts,” the spokesperson said.

“KP government officials are accused of inflicting Rs19 billion losses to the national exchequer due to corruption in funds for the … project,” the statement read

Cumulatively, the bureau authorized as many as seven inquiries on Wednesday: One investigation and filing six corruption references in accountability courts.

The executive board approved the filing of a corruption reference against former director-general of Punjab Land Development Company Ahad Cheema and others for their involvement in a case that resulted in loss of Rs660 million.

It also approved filing another corruption reference against former IG Sindh Ghulam Haider Jamali for his involvement in corruption.

An inquiry was ordered against the secretary health of Sindh and others for abuse of authority and corruption in awarding contracts.

The bureau also decided to file a supplementary reference against former managing-director of Water and Sanitation Agency, Quetta, Hamid Latif and others for having incomes beyond means.