Ensuring accountability: Fighting corruption is top priority, says NAB chief

Says the topic has been included in the country’s development agenda for the first time

ISLAMABAD: The government has accorded the highest priority to its fight against corruption, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry said on Wednesday, adding that the topic, for the first time, has been included in the country’s development agenda.

“The Planning Commission of Pakistan has devoted a chapter to the issues related to corruption in the 11th five-year plan and we are working closely with it to prepare a national anti-corruption strategy,” he said at a seminar on national dialogue to promote good governance and development, organised jointly by NAB and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Islamabad.

“Top priority has also been accorded to corruption complaints against NAB officials. They must follow a strict code of conduct. Zero tolerance against corruption to is to be visibly exhibited,” he said.

The NAB chief stressed that the war on corruption is collective responsibility. “The dream of a corruption-free society will remain elusive unless the citizens reduce our corruption threshold, elect honest public representatives and, above all, generate a strong political will to wipe out corruption.”

Speaking at the event, President Mamnoon Hussain credited the decline in corruption in the country to the policies and efforts of the government and NAB.

“A country cannot progress with corruption amounting to Rs1 trillion annually,” he said. Acknowledging the improvement in Pakistan’s ranking on the Corruption Perception Index, he called on all concerned to work more vigorously to eliminate the menace.

The president also told the NAB chief to continue efforts to ensure effective accountability and encouraged him to go after ‘big fishes’ against whom ample evidence exists.

NAB authorises nine inquiries

Meanwhile, NAB on Tuesday decided to authorise nine inquiries including one against Mahwash & Jahangir Siddiqui Foundation regarding alleged inside trading in Azgard Nine Limited Shares and corrupt practices. NAB’s Executive Board Meeting (EBM) also authorised an inquiry against National Telecommunication Corporation’s (NTC) officers/officials and M/s United Contractors (Pvt) Ltd, Lahore.

In this case, the accused persons allegedly awarded tender of Rs153.771million for construction of the NTC Regional Office Building at Lahore to M/s United Engineers in violation of rule.

The contractor used substandard material, submitted fake bills for payment and the same was paid without proper verification, causing loss of Rs514783 million to the national exchequer, said a NAB press release.

The EBM also authorised inquiries against Sindh Building Control Authority’s DG Manzoor Qadir, Irrigation Department Chief Engineer in Bhakkar Muhammad Saleem Malik and others, Acting Director Schools, Karachi Sajan Mallah, Hazara University’s Acting Vice Chancellor Dr Sohail Shahzad, M/s Al-Abid Silk Mills Limited, Walled City Lahore Authority DG, officers /officials, private contractors and others and Lyari Development Authority DG Agha Masood and Chief Engineer Najeeb Malik.

The EBM also decided to re-authorise inquiries against Board of Revenue’s former senior member Gulzar Khan and Iqbal Academy Pakistan’s former director Suheyl Umar.  The EBM also authorised complaint verification for misuse of authority and appointment of Raziq Sanjrani, MD Saindak Metal in violation of rules.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2015.