NAB going all out to arrest absconders

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal directed all Directors General of the NAB Regions to arrest all proclaimed offenders and absconders by utilising all resources.

The direction came up in the meeting to review performance of all wings of NAB at NAB Headquarters. Addressing the meeting, the Chairman NAB that NAB has also introduced a new system of Combine Investigation Team (CIT) in order to benefit from the experience and collective wisdom of senior supervisory officers.

“This is not only lending quality to the work but also ensuring that no single individual can influence the official proceedings of NAB,” he said. He said that corruption is root cause of all evils which affects country just like cancer. “The NAB is absolutely committed to eradicate corruption with the realisation that eradication of corruption is our national duty,” he said.

He said the NAB has devised proactive Anti-Corruption Strategy especially operational methodology by setting three stages for proceeding of cases, complaint verification, inquiry and investigation.

He said the figures of complaints, inquiries and investigations are almost double as compared to the same period of 2017 to 2018. He said the comparative figures are indicative of the hard work being put in by all ranks of NAB staff in an atmosphere of renewed energy and dynamism, where fight against corruption is being taken as a national duty. “Increase in the number of complaints also reflects enhanced public trusted in the NAB,” he said.

He said the PILDAT in its report supports the position stated above as 42% people trusted NAB against 30 % for police and 29 % for government officials. He said the report of Transparency International also rated Pakistan in Corruption Perception Index (CPI) from 126 to 116.

He said NAB has established more than 50,000 Character Building Societies (CBS) in universities/colleges. “This initiative of NAB has proved very successful in order to make aware our youth about the ill effects of corruption as youth is not our future but asset as well,” he said.

The NAB chairman said that NAB has devised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to rationalise its workload and first time timelines have been prescribed for efficient, effective and expeditious disposal of cases on merit by putting a maximum limit of 10 months.