NAB has no role in ruining economy, says chairman

Seeks business community's cooperation in endeavour to eradicate corruption


​ Our Correspondent October 03, 2019
Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal. PHOTO: PPI

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Javed Iqbal has sought business community's cooperation in ‘his endeavour’ to eradicate corruption from the society, claiming that the graft buster has no role in ruining the country’s economy.

“NAB is a people-friendly institution that ensures accountability without discrimination. It is to serve people and not to intimidate them. It files cases after complete investigation and inquiries,” Iqbal said on Thursday while addressing businessmen in Lahore.

“Business community should extend moral support to NAB against its fight against corruption. There was no need of NAB, if everyone ensured self-accountability,” he said, adding: “NAB has no role in ruining of the country's economy.”

He said there is a difference between tax evasion and money laundering, adding that NAB does not deal with cases of tax evasion which is a deviance dealt with by other institutions.

NAB chairman rejected the claim that the anti-graft watchdog is only targeting the opposition parties.

“I am making all out efforts to eradicate corruption from the society without caring about the powerful mafias who have left unprecedented stories of graft.

“NAB files cases against the powerful.  It has no affiliation with the incumbent government. It has allegiance with Pakistan and only considers the cases not the faces,” he said.

He said the power of convicting or freeing suspects rest with the courts. Iqbal said he had never approved a plea bargain or signed arrest warrants of any suspect without verification. “I can't arrest a person without any reason even for four hours.”

Talking with reference to the claim that NAB has made no major recovery, he said it is very difficult to prove white-collar crimes as the crime is committed in one city and property exists somewhere else.

“However, NAB has recovered Rs71 billion during the last 22 months and overall recovery of bureau since inception is Rs342 billion.” He said the anti-graft watchdog has to work within the law.

“I can make recoveries within three weeks period, if I am granted absolute powers,” he said.

Talking about fake housing societies, he said such housing societies have looted money of the poor by making alluring advertisements. “Every case that concerns poor people is mega case for me; fake housing societies looted entire asset of people without any remorse”.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP

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