Since the beginning NAB has been used for political pressure, where many mega cases are never investigated and many corrupt officers are secretly fined and released through ‘plea bargains’, without any real punishment. Parliamentarians that have admitted to corruption in plea bargains are still in parliament. The people of Pakistan have accepted the failed NAB as another political pressure tool. Since NAB is a complaint-based organisation, where no action is taken until a complaint with proof is first submitted to them, there is little the bureau can manage. Take the example of Pesco, where bills are created on the 6th of every month and issued on the 15th. Bills are delivered to the customers on the 24th of the month, while the last bill due date is the 26th of the month. After due date PESCO charges 9 percent as late surcharge on customers.
For common Pakistanis, who are busy in their daily lives, it is not possible to keep track of such manoeuvring by Pesco and therefore they pay the late surcharge, without realising that they only had one or two days to pay their electricity bill or that this trick is used every month by Pesco. Since NAB is not an enforcing agency, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is requested to discuss the issue of late bill delivery and late surcharge with Pesco and end this menace for the people of KP.
Engr Shahryar Khan Baseer
Peshawar