No victimisation: ‘NAB sees case not the face’

Anti-graft body says following policy of accountability for all

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been rejuvenated under the leadership of retired justice Javaid Iqbal who has given the policy of accountability for all.

“NAB sees case not the face,” said the anti-graft body in a statement issued on Friday.

NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal has spent more than 35 years of his life in providing justice to people. He believes in self-respect of humanity and does not believe in breaching self-esteem of any person, the statement said.

NAB has proved that its actions are across the board and it does not believe in victimisation. The prestige and repute of NAB has increased manifold due to its indiscriminate and visible action against the mighty, the statement said.

The performance of the premier anti-corruption body has improved because the current chairman is not only reviewing performance of NAB on regular basis, he is also monitoring the performance of all regional bureaus in order to complete all complaint verifications, inquiries and investigations within the stipulated time period of 10 months.

The statement said that NAB was established in 1999 to eradicate corruption and to recover looted money from corrupt and deposit it in national exchequer.

NAB has its Headquarters in Islamabad and eight regional bureaus located at Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, KPK, Multan, Sukkur and Gilgit Baltistan.

NAB since its inception has received about 378,541 complaints from individuals, private and public organisations. During this period, NAB authorised 12,935 complaint verification, 8,220 inquiries, 4,021 investigations, filed 3,296 corruption references in respective accountability courts.

As of today, 1,230 corruption references are under trial in respective accountability courts and NAB’s overall conviction ratio is about 77 per cent which is great achievement of NAB besides recovering Rs296.85 billion of ill-gotten money from corrupt and all amount deposited in the national exchequer.

Pakistan is considered as role model for SAARC countries in eradication of corruption due to NAB’s efforts. Pakistan is the first chair of SAARC Anti-Corruption Forum which is great achievement for the country due to NAB. This is just because of the proactive Anti-Corruption Strategy adopted by NAB under the dynamic leadership of retired justice Javaid Iqbal.

After assuming responsibilities, NAB Chairman Iqbal on the very first day in an address to NAB officers gave his vision and policy which was “Accountability of All”. Today, NAB has been rejuvenated in order to eradicate corruption from Pakistan. NAB chairman is not only reviewing performance of NAB on regular basis, he has also monitoring the performance of all regional bureaus in order to complete all complaint verifications, inquiries and investigations within the stipulated time period of 10 months.

NAB’s actions under the leadership of Justice Javed have been lauded by national and international organisations, civil society and people at large. Today, the whole nation is with NAB for corruption free Pakistan. NAB has clear policy to concentrate on case and not on face as all are equal before the law. NAB would continue its efforts for indiscriminate accountability to all as today NAB chairman has rejuvenated the bureau and corrupt are being arrested and brought to justice as per law.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21^st, 2018.