Aggressive campaign being launched against NAB

ISLAMABAD: Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Justice Javed Iqbal Wednesday said that an aggressive campaign is being launched against NAB to prevent it from performing its duties. He said that NAB has taken action against the sacred cows to whom no one could even think about touching them and now onwards only rule of law would prevail in the country.

“I can assure that the NAB was not scared of any threat or any fear while taking action against the corrupt who may be powerful as the NAB sees the case not face and NAB has no affiliation with any political party, politician, group or individual but only affiliation with Pakistan,” he said this while addressing a seminar in the international Islamic University (IIU) as chief guest on the topic of "Our faith, corruption free Pakistan” here Wednesday which was jointly organised by IIU and NAB.

The chairman NAB stressed the need of eliminating the menace of corruption from society and from root causes by conducting a major surgery as it has become a cancer. “The NAB was utilising its energies to fix the corrupt without any discrimination,” he said.

He said inquiries and investigations are being conducted against the corrupt without caring about their status. “As many as 440 corruption references have been filed in different accountability courts against the corruption accused in last one year,” he said.

The chairman NAB said everyone wants to eradicate corruption, accuses others but not wanted to initiate action from ourselves. “The foremost important remedy of corruption is self-accountability. We should avoid corruption, nepotism and bribery by ensuring self-accountability. Such acts would help eliminating corruption but also help materialising the dream of making the country corruption free,” he said.

Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said steps were being taken to control money laundering. ”The money stashed abroad by Pakistanis will be brought back to the country at all costs and the life will be made difficult for the corrupt. He said country has $94 billion of loan and the amount was not spent on development project. “One has to investigate who had looted the country in past and also in present. Many people bought plazas in Dubai. The need is to investigate from where the money came,” he said. The chairman NAB urged the youth to play their role in eliminating corruption. “Youth could start corruption eliminating campaign from their homes, neighbourhood and their respective areas of residence,” he said.

He said the NAB had already established over 50,000 character building associations in different universities and colleges. He said Pakistan had been ranked 107th position in corruption perception index by International Economic Forum. According to recent survey of Pildat, 59 percent people expressed confidence over NAB's corruption elimination efforts.

Rector IIU Dr Yasin Masoomzai in his address highlighted negative effects of corruption and lauded NAB's corruption eradication efforts. Director General NAB Awareness and Prevention Altaf Bhawani, a large number of senior faculty, students of IIU were also present on the occasion.

Chairman NAB also answered the questions of audience with arguments. The students lauded NAB's campaign against corruption and vowed playing their role in NAB's Awareness and Prevention against corruption campaign.