Corruption charges: NAB sees Punjab as major graft contributor
NAB chief tells Law Minister Farooq H Naek that Punjab contributes 65% to daily corruption.
ISLAMABAD:
Forty-eight hours after Admiral (Retd) Fasih Bokhari sent a shockwave through the country with his daily corruption estimate of Rs6-7 billion, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman on Friday revealed that Punjab is the biggest contributor to this corruption.
The NAB chief told Law Minister Farooq H Naek over a phone call that Punjab contributed 65% to the daily corruption.
“The meeting of the cabinet committee should be called as early as possible and a representative from Punjab should also be called to face the committee,” Zafar Iqbal Khan, a spokesperson for NAB, quoted Bokhari as saying.
Earlier in the day Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh told reporters that the four-member cabinet inquiry committee will hold its meetings next week. The finance minister said representatives from TIP, NAB, Public Accounts Committee, provincial anti-corruption institutions, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Competition Commission of Pakistan, courts’ registrars and members of chambers of commerce will be called for the committee meeting.
Shaikh also said that NAB would be asked to share evidence with the government besides pointing out the sources of corruption.
The inquiry committee was formed by the prime minister to probe ‘allegations’ of corruption against government institutions.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2012.
Forty-eight hours after Admiral (Retd) Fasih Bokhari sent a shockwave through the country with his daily corruption estimate of Rs6-7 billion, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman on Friday revealed that Punjab is the biggest contributor to this corruption.
The NAB chief told Law Minister Farooq H Naek over a phone call that Punjab contributed 65% to the daily corruption.
“The meeting of the cabinet committee should be called as early as possible and a representative from Punjab should also be called to face the committee,” Zafar Iqbal Khan, a spokesperson for NAB, quoted Bokhari as saying.
Earlier in the day Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh told reporters that the four-member cabinet inquiry committee will hold its meetings next week. The finance minister said representatives from TIP, NAB, Public Accounts Committee, provincial anti-corruption institutions, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Competition Commission of Pakistan, courts’ registrars and members of chambers of commerce will be called for the committee meeting.
Shaikh also said that NAB would be asked to share evidence with the government besides pointing out the sources of corruption.
The inquiry committee was formed by the prime minister to probe ‘allegations’ of corruption against government institutions.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 15th, 2012.