NAB to remain apolitical, work in line with law: Chairman

ISLAMABAD: Chairman National Accountability Bureau Lt. General (retd) Nazir Ahmed reiterated that NAB will remain completely apolitical and will work in accordance with the law as in the past the organization found itself involved in undue controversies which made it lose its focus and damaged its reputation.

“My foremost effort will be to restore the image of NAB as a fair, just and unbiased organization,” he said during a ceremony organized for the distribution of compensation cheques among victims of various scams, here at NAB Rawalpindi.

Chairman NAB expressed concern at the country’s slide on the Global Corruption Perception Index and said that the entire society had to work together for eradicating the menace of corruption. He also appreciated the affectees for their patience while waiting for the looted amount to be recovered and assured that henceforth every effort would be made to conclude such cases in the shortest possible time frame. Lt. General (retd) Nazir Ahmed also appreciated the officers for their diligent work in recovering the looted amount.

Chairman NAB advised the NAB officers and staff that the NAB does not have any favourites and that the organization works strictly on the principles of fairness and impartiality. “All accused deserve courtesy and civility and treat them as you would like to be treated”, he remarked. While answering the questions of employees,Chairman NAB said that measures are being taken to make the working environment for employees, particularly female staff, as comfortable as possible through the early resolution of their issues. He also emphasized rotation policy would be implemented in letter and spirit.

Earlier, DG NAB Rawalpindi Mirza Irfan Baig, in his welcome remarks at the ceremony, said that NAB Rawalpindi has recovered Rs. 3.5 billion in five major cases of cheating the public, out of which Rs. 27 million were being disbursed today among the affectees. He said the recoveries include Rs 130 million in fake accounts in the Sindh Tractors Scheme which were handed over to the Government of Sindh, Rs. 500 million from Askaria Town Housing Scheme, Rs. 1.9 billion from the National House Building Development Corporation scam and others. He said SAARC, PILDAT and international organizations including the UN have acknowledged NAB’s performance. “An MoU has also been signed with China for transparent execution of CPEC projects,” he informed. Chairman NAB also planted a sapling on the premises of NAB Rawalpindi.