NAB forms committee to address problems of business community

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal has announced four-member committee of business community at federal level in order to address the problems of business community.

According to NAB announcement on Tuesday, NAB is business friendly organisation and the chairman has great regard for the business community which is back bone of Pakistan’s development and prosperity.

While, the NAB Rawalpindi has decided to initiate inquiry against Secretary General PTI Amir Mehmood Kiani for his alleged role in increase in the drug prices.

According to sources, Chairman NAB Justice (R) Javed Iqbal has given the directions to NAB Rawalpindi for the inquiry against Amir Mehmood Kiani after the verification of complaint.

Amir Mehmood Kiani, who is currently Secretary General of the PTI, has served as Minister for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination from August 2018 to April 2019 and was removed from the post by Prime minister Imran Khan.

It is to be mentioned that Chairman NAB has taken a notice in April this year on the sudden increase of the drug prices which were rose to 100 percent to 300 percent and directed the NAB Rawalpindi to launch inquiry against the concerned officials of the Ministry of Health and Drug Regulatory Authority of the federal government.

While speaking in the meeting of the Executive Board of the NAB, Chairman NAB Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said the Bureau has filed 105 mega corruption cases in various accountability courts from out of 179 mega corruption complaints. He said the NAB has taken 41 mega corruption cases to logical conclusion, conducted inquiry to 15 mega corruption cases and ordered investigations in 18 in this regard.

Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said the NAB has filed 600 corruption cases in different accountability courts in last 22 months. He said the conviction ratio of anti-graft watchdog was over 70 percent. The NAB has recovered record Rs71 billion from the corrupt and deposited into national exchequer,” he said.

The Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau Tuesday gave approval of sending 15 investigations relating to matters to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to take up these cases according to law.

The Executive Board of the NAB held its meeting with the chair of its Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal in which it authorised conducting four inquiries, 15 investigations and closing several investigations against various suspects, owing to absence of evidence.

The Executive Board gave approval for conducting four inquiries against the owners of Exide Batteries, Muhammad Arsala Khan and others, officers of Wapda Water Wing, Islamabad and others, Irrigation Department Rajanpur and officers/officials of Nishan Engineering and others.

The NAB’s Executive Board disposed of the cases of Sultan Ali Lakhani and Messers Shone Group and others due to the settlement agreements of the accused with their relevant bank as per law.

The Executive Board accorded approval of sending 15 different investigations against Raja Muhammad Zarat Khan of Messers Bahawan Shah Group of Companies and others to FBR for further action and proceedings.

The Executive Board approved for sending the ongoing investigations against the officers/officials of Abdul Wali Khan University and others; officers/officials of Workers Welfare Board Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and others to chief secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for further legal proceedings.

It authorised sending the case against former member provincial assembly Punjab Sardar Qaiser Abbas Khan to Board of Revenue, Punjab for further legal proceedings.

The Executive Board accorded approval of closing investigations against Arif Ali Shah Bukhari and others; provincial Workers Welfare Board Government of Sindh and others, Vice Chancellor Federal Urdu University of Art, Science and Technology, Karachi, Saima builders, Saima Group, officers/officials of Revenue Department, district Karachi, Amirzada Khan Kohati Project, Director Malir Development Authority, Karachi, Ayub Faizani, DD Land, former officer MDA Murad Ali Junejo, Clerk Basharat (Shah Latif Town, Sector 22/F) and others, Messers Younas Habib and others, Sardar Nasir Abbas, Sardar Lal Khan and others, officials of Revenue Department Chobara , Layyah owing to absence of evidence.