Fearful bureaucrats; Jang’s news item is baseless: NAB

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) clarifying a news item by Hanif Khalid has called it baseless, concocted, against facts, and said the Jang Group should have published the Bureau press release issued on Sept 20 as it is. It said Hanif Khalid did not present the NAB version as it is and instead he distorted it to give a different impression which the Bureau completely rejects.

Hanif Khalid did not tell in the story as to what yardstick he had used to judge that bureaucrats were reluctant to take important decisions because of NAB fear resulting in a halt in development works in all the four provinces. Whether Hanif Khalid or Jang Group had conducted a countrywide survey on the basis of which they had reached that conclusion. Hanif Khalif had even held the NAB responsible for the strike of sweepers in the federal capital, which was already in the notice of the Supreme Court. Peshawar NAB had submitted the inquiry report on BRT, to which Hanif Khalif referred as Peshawar Metro, to Peshawar High Court after completing it, and the honourable Supreme Court had granted a stay on the matter.

The BRT project is not facing delay because NAB. NAB has decided to send a legal notice to Hanif Khalid for damaging NAB reputation and credibility by holding it responsible for delaying BRT Peshawar. NAB has never tolerated any hurdle to the way of prosperity and progress of the country nor would it tolerate any hurdle to the way of prosperity and progress of the country.

NAB also rejects the impression that CPEC projects have slowed down because of it by calling Hanif Khalid's news item baseless and concocted. NAB has not been criticized in the press release issued after the roundtable conference held under the aegis of Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security (PICSS) a copy of which is available with the Bureau.

By showing ill-intention and professional dishonesty, Hanif Khalif has deprived his readers of real facts y by putting blame for delay in the completion of Orange Train, Lahore, on NAB whereas the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan by taking notice had directed the then Punjab government to complete the project as soon as possible according to the law. NAB wants to make it clear that it is performing its duties according to the Constitution and law. The first and last affiliation of the NAB officers is only and only the state of Pakistan and they consider it their first priority to end corruption from the country and they are using their energies in this regard.