BRT Peshawar, Malam Jabba cases 'ready', NAB chairman says

Chairman NAB Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal on Monday said that corruption references are 'ready' in the BRT Peshawar and Malam Jabba ski resort cases.

He was addressing a ceremony in Islamabad on the International Anti-Corruption Day, which was also attended by President Arif Alvi and Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser.

The NAB chairman said that "the winds have started blowing from a different direction" and that everyone will see a difference "soon".

Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders are facing investigations in the two cases in question. 

The Peshawar  High Court had recently directed the FIA to probe the multi-billion rupee BRT project,  which is still not complete despite multiple deadlines set by the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtwnkha.

Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak and other senior officials working under him when he was the chief minister in KP are separately facing investigations in the Malam Jabba case.

"We cannot claim to eliminate corruption completely from the country nor is this only the responsibility of NAB," he said,  adding that every Pakistani has to play a role in the campaign.

Javed claimed that NAB is progressing well towards its destination. "Those who looted the country are either behind bars or have left the country."

He said people ask him why NAB has not been taking action on BRT. "Let me make it very clear that action will be taken as soon as the stay order is vacated."

Responding to allegations that NAB is "in alliance" with the government, he clarified that NAB respects all the politician and bureaucrats.

"We are not working on someone’s directions and not taking political revenge on someone’s behalf," he said.

"There is no point in badmouthing me; you should rather focus on defending your cases," he said, possibly in reference to a statement from PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, who in a recent press conference had alleged that NAB is working on PM Imran Khan’s "instructions".