NAB vows to bring back 'looted wealth'

Chairman says London, Dubai will no longer remain safe havens for plundered assets

ISLAMABAD:

London and Dubai will no longer remain safe havens for those who have plundered Pakistan's wealth, and such individuals will be brought back, the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmad, said on Wednesday.

The Speaker of the National Assembly remarked that, whereas NAB had previously been engaged in political vendettas, those performing their duties honestly now have no reason to fear the Bureau.

The remarks came during an awareness walk held in connection with the International Anti-Corruption Day. The walk was organised at the Sports Complex in the federal capital under the auspices of NAB Rawalpindi/Islamabad.

The walk was led by NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, and NAB Chairman Nazir Ahmad. Members of Parliament, diplomats, senior civil servants (bureaucrats), a delegation from the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee and religious scholars, business leaders from the twin cities' chambers of commerce, prominent civil-society representatives, media personnel, students, and senior NAB officers and staff participated.

Speaking on the occasion, the NAB chief said, "We must eradicate the scourge of corruption from our beloved country." He said that NAB had recovered Rs6,140b in 2025, and Rs11,400b over the past two and a half years. "We are adopting an automated investigative framework. We are also engaging beyond Pakistan's borders and, in collaboration with international partners, will recover assets looted and stashed abroad. London and Dubai will no longer remain safe havens for those who have plundered Pakistan," he reiterated.

NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq remarked, "Mr Chairman, why were the Rs40b that you have now recovered not recovered earlier? What was NAB doing before? Previously, NAB was engaged in political victimisation, pursuing politicians and businesspeople. The current Chairman has, first and foremost, reformed NAB. Earlier, those within the institution had turned it into their own personal domain. We could never have imagined attending a NAB function, but the Bureau has now restored public confidence."

He added that corruption was a malignant plague eating away at the country's foundations. "Businessmen and civil servants need not fear. If you submit an application and receive no response from NAB, I shall be as responsible as the Chairman himself."