1,405 accused persons convicted so far: NAB chief

NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal on Sunday said that 1,405 accused persons were convicted by different accountability courts throughout the country first time in the history of NAB during the tenure of present management.

In a statement, he said NAB would not spare all those who have devoured billions of rupees of innocent Pakistanis through corruption and corrupt practices, adding that NAB has no affiliation with any individual, party or organisation but with the country and is performing its duties.

He said that eradication of corruption has become the voice of the whole nation as it not only halted the progress of the country but also usurped the rights of the deserving people.

“Pakistan is facing the challenge of corruption which is the root cause of all problems being endured by the country.”

He said that NAB has chalked out a comprehensive anti-corruption strategy comprising awareness, prevention and enforcement under the ‘Accountability for All’ policy.

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Besides overhauling and perfecting working procedures in order to make NAB a more credible and reputed organization to eradicate corruption in all its forms and manifestations.

The NAB chairman said that the bureau has been rejuvenated by implementing his ‘Accountability for All’ policy across the board under the slogan of “NAB's Faith, Corruption-free Pakistan”.

“The results have yielded excellent dividends.”

Well reputed national and international organizations like Transparency International Pakistan, World Economic Forum, PILDAT, Mishal Pakistan have not only lauded NAB's efforts for eradication of corruption but in the Gillani and Gallup Survey about 59 per cent people have shown their confidence in NAB.

He said that NAB during the present management has brought big fish to justice for the first time and recovered Rs539 billion from corrupt elements directly and indirectly from Oct 2017 to Dec 2021 that no one previously had ever been able to accomplish since the establishment of the anti-corruption watchdog in 1999, besides overall recovery of Rs822 bullion directly and indirectly.

NAB has filed 1,278 corruption references in the various learned accountability courts which are under adjudication and their worth is approximately Rs1,335 billion.