NAB & deep wounds of a retired top bureaucrat

ISLAMABAD: A retired federal secretary and FBR former chairman M Iqbal Farid is fighting his case both in the apex court and with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against Bureau’s high handedness where he, despite being a senior government servant, was arrested, humiliated and when nothing incriminating found against him, his family was harassed to pay “extortion” to get himself free.

Now he wants the refund of what he called the “extorted money” (Rs10 million) with interest and costs.

In his pending representation before the NAB, he lamented, “After 100 days of detention (in 1999-2000), I was released after the unjustified extortion of Rs10 million, given salary for the period of my detention and posting in the Establishment Division for the remaining four months period of my service tenure, I retired in a normal course on superannuation with all pension and terminal benefits. What a farce!”

Iqbal Farid’s case is also pending before the Supreme Court as he insists that his case is a glaring example of NAB’s highhandedness. He explained that despite being a senior government servant, he was arrested humiliated, investigated and when nothing incriminating was found against him in his personal or official capacity and without any reference/plea bargain through the court, the NAB created a situation wherein his family was harassed to extort exorbitant amount of money from his brothers.

He said that his release order mentioned three allegations on the basis of which the “financial impact” of Rs10 million was “recovered”.

The three allegation were; a) avoidance of fee on transfer of a house in CDA; b) non-disclosure in wealth tax return of sale of inherited shops; c) affidavit and change in location of an officially allotted residential plot.

He explained that the first allegation was based on misreading of facts and applicable CDA regulations that permit transfer within the family on payment of prescribed fee. The second allegation, he said, was also based on some misperception about applicable regulations that require no disclosure of what has been expended during the tax year.

Regarding the third allegation, he said that he was first allotted plot in Sector D-12 of CDA along with many others then the same was shifted to Sector I-8. Besides him, those whose plots were shifted include several secretaries, DG ISI, DG FIA and Auditor General of Pakistan of that period.

He said that nothing adverse was discovered against him but the entire process of NAB’s inquiry and investigation was a complete sham. “The entire process was erroneous, defective, malicious, ill-founded with mala fide intentions,” he said in his representation.

He lamented, “How can the mental agony, the trauma and the wrong impression of ‘corruption’ perceived by general public, friends, colleagues and relatives emanating from the false propaganda to save their (NAB) own skin, be corrected? Any amount of damages (which I have a right to claim) wouldn’t suffice.”

He said that he has been making repeated representations to the NAB chairman from 2000-2010 for redress of his grievance and refund of the extorted amount and an apology for the grievous wrong done to him.

He said that the fact has to be realised that the financial impact had been caused to him for no wrong done and as such entitled him to a refund of entire amount of Rs10 million with mark-up @ 24 a year till recovery on account of loss of continuous earning, which the investment in a normal business yielding during the preceding years.