300 NAB employees investigated, Senate informed

Minister of State on Law and Justice Shahadat Awan on Thursday informed the Senate that the list of people, who had struck plea bargaining deals with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), mostly comprised of individuals affiliated with the real estate business.

Shahadat was responding to a query by Senator Azam Swati, who demanded to know about all the NAB officers, who had been investigated and punished for any wrongdoing or corruption in the last eight years.

The Senate session presided over by its chairman, Sadiq Sanjrani.

The minister of state on law and justice added that inquiries of misconduct and other matters had been conducted against 300 employees of NAB.

“Criminal cases are going on against NAB employees and some have been convicted. NAB employees themselves have applied for plea bargaining.”

Senator Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar noted that the news had come about former PM’s aide Mirza Shahzad Akbar sending money abroad through the illegal process of Hundi.

Shahadat told him that he would ask NAB to start an inquiry into Akbar’s case.

The Senate chairman said information about this matter should be obtained and presented before the House.

The law ministry in its written reply informed the House that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had recovered Rs556 billion during the last three years. It added that the anti-graft body had recovered Rs141 billion in 2019, Rs323 billion in 2020 and Rs91 billion in 2021.

Senator Saleem Mandviwalla pointed out that the lawmakers declared their assets to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) every year and then they were publicised on the media.

“Why the assets of NAB officials can’t be publicised?” he asked.

Minister of State on Law and Justice Shahadat Awan replied that all government departments submitted their declarations annually and if there was any discrepancy, it should be pointed out.

The Senate passed the Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Limitation (FRDL) (Amendment) Bill, 2022 with a majority vote despite the opposition putting up a fierce resistance to the legislation.

The bill was moved by Minister of State for Finance Aisha Ghaus Pasha in the upper house of parliament and had already been passed by the National Assembly.

The House also unanimously approved the amendments to the bill for the establishment of the National Rehmatul-lil-Alameen Authority.

Federal Minister for Board of Investment Chaudhry Salik Hussain claimed that the “irresponsible” statements of the previous regime in the year 2018 had disturbed the country’s ties with China.

He added that no attention had been paid to the Gwadar seaport in the last four years.

The minister claimed that Gwadar port had not been trenched in the last four years and no big ship could come near it,

“Gwadar second phase was to be launched in connection with the industrial sector. Some special economic zones became real estate in Gwadar where only property purchase was under way.”

He added that instead of becoming a deep sea port, Gwadar had become a minor port.

Opposition Leader in the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem lamented the manner in which the accountability and electoral reforms bills were passed.

“The bills were presented and bulldozed in the National Assembly and the next day the same thing happened in the Senate.”