NAB devising policy to save politicians, MPs from political victimisation

ISLAMABAD: In line with its recently revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to protect businessmen and civilian bureaucracy from unnecessary harassment, the NAB is now devising a policy to save politicians and parliamentarians from Bureau’s past-like political victimisation.

Informed sources said that the NAB management is also in contact with the Speaker National Assembly to work out a strategy where without compromising the real essence of accountability, the parliamentarians are saved from arbitrary arrests and bad publicity.

Like members of the bureaucracy and business community, politicians in the past have also been arrested, jailed and harassed by the NAB. On frivolous grounds and without any concrete evidence, corruption cases were made and references were filed against many politicians in accountability courts. They were portrayed as corrupt by the NAB but in most of these cases the Bureau failed to prove such allegations in the court of law.

For the same reason even the Supreme Court has said in the past that the NAB in the name of accountability has been repeatedly used as a tool to victimise political opponents. The withdrawal of reference by NAB against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-finance minister Miftah Ismail and others in LNG case, is not only the admission of the Bureau’s past wrongs by its present management but it also reflects a clear intend for change of policy of harassment and political victimisation. The likes of Abbasi and Miftah deserved appreciation for their LNG work instead of being jailed and dragged in the courts for years, admitted a NAB source.

The source added that now the consideration is to protect parliamentarians from arbitrary arrest and bad publicity on the basis of mere allegations and in the absence of any court order.

The NAB recently issued new SOPs to all its offices for fair handling of only genuine complaints, admitting that precious time and resources get wasted in processing non-cognizable complaints that adversely impairs efforts and impacts of Bureau’s operations.

In the case of complaints against government servants, the following instructions were issued for strict following: i) No anonymous complaint against government officials will be entertained; ii) Identity of government officials will be kept strictly confidential during complaint verification process; iii) Complaints against officials up to BS-19 shall be authorised by Regional DGs, whereas, for BS-20 and above officers, approval of NAB chairman will be required; iv) Government officials will not be called in person in NAB premises during complaint verification and inquiry stage; v) Regional DGs in consultation with the respective provincial Chief Secretaries will establish Accountability Facilitation Cells (AFCs) in respective civil secretariat for the requisite assistance; vi) All correspondence and sharing of information will be made through AFCs.

For consideration of processing complaints against businessmen, the SOPs said: i) No anonymous complaint against businessmen will be entertained; ii) Identity of businessmen will be kept strictly confidential; iii) No businessman will be summoned to NAB premises during complaint verification stage; iv) For dignified conduct of probe, a separate Business Facilitation Cell (BFC) will be establishment at regional NAB offices. The BFC will comprise of representative from respective chamber of commerce and industry, representative from “Realtors’ Association” and representatives from other business associations (if required on case-to-case basis).