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Thursday March 28, 2024

A performing NAB

By Nawazish Ali Asim
June 15, 2020

When Justice Justice Javed Iqbal took over as Chairman National Accountability Bureau, he chalked out a comprehensive Anto corruption strategy comprising of awareness, prevention and enforcement under “Accountability for All” policy.

Besides overhauling and perfecting working procedures in order to make NAB more credible and reputed organisation to eradicate corruption in all its forms and manifestations. He knew it fully well that the path ahead is extremely thorny and will require extraordinary determination and courage to tackle rampant corruption and misuse of authority in the highest echelons of power.

He brought in a vision founded in his lifelong commitment to upholding the principles of justice, transparency and fair play as per law during his illustrious career as a session judge to acting Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan spanning more than four decades.

Seamlessly he rejuvenated NAB in last more than two years by implementing his Accountability for All Policy across the board under the slogan of “NAB’s Faith-Corruption free Pakistan.”

The results have yielded excellent dividends. Well Reputed national and International Organizations like Transparency International Pakistan, World Economic Forum, PILDAT, Mishal Pakistan have not only lauded NAB’s efforts for eradication of corruption but in the Gillani and Gallop Survey about 59 percent people have shown their confidence upon NAB.

NAB under the leadership of Justice Javed Iqbal, has recovered a staggering sum of Rs178 billion from corrupt elements directly and indirectly that no one previously had ever been able to accomplish since the establishment of the anti-corruption watchdog in 1999.

Besides the recovery NAB has filed 600 corruption references in the various accountability courts and arrested 570 accused persons. The overall conviction rate of NAB in Accountability courts is about 70 %.

Currently, there are 1229 corruption references of NAB are under process in 25 Accountability courts of the country and their total worth is more than Rs900 billion. As per clause 16(a) of NAB Ordinance 1999, the Honourable Accountability Court has to decide the case within 30 days.

The relentless efforts put in by the worthy chairman to eradicate widespread corruption has won him a national backing. People have started showing faith in NAB’s efforts and anti-corruption awareness has reached at all tiers of public level.

Not just in Pakistan alone, NAB has now emerged as a role model for countries under South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which includes India, SriLanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

Under courageous leadership of Justice Javed Iqbal, NAB heads SAARC anti-corruption forum. It is focal organization for Pakistan under the United Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).

NAB has also signed a unique Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with China to extend cooperation in tackling corruption and to oversee CEPC projects being under process in Pakistan.

Among other achievements of the bureau, it has established a state of the Art Forensic Science Laboratory in NAB Rawalpindi besides establishing its own Pakistan Anti-Corruption Training Academy at NAB headquarters.

The academy is meant to train and equip its investigation officers with modern techniques to investigate white collar crimes on the basis of best of best lesson learnt in order to eradicate corruption.

NAB has also signed Memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Higher Education Commission to spread awareness among students at Universities Colleges level as part of Chairman’s vision to make our future leadership aware of the threat corruption poses to the health of any society. It is a remarkable effort.

In this regard, 55 thousands Character Building Societies (CBS) have been established in Universities/Colleges throughout the country.

In order to streamline the working of the body, Chairman has also ensure that a highest degree of transparency is maintained at all levels of enforcement.

From complaint verification to the final stage of filing a reference full level of transparency is maintained, guided, supervised and closely watched by the honourable chairman and an innovative concept of combine investigation team has been introduced in order to benefit from collective wisdom and to improve the quality of investigation on the basis of solid evidence as per law.

Chairman NAB always maintains a close liaison with all regional bureaus to ensure there is no delay in completion of complaint verification, inquiries and investigations and diligent officers are firstly warned and then dealt according to law and no wrongdoings at any level of investigations in acceptable as NAB strongly believes in self accountability besides accountability of others. Justice Javed Iqbal’s spectacular achievements stem from his core belief that fighting endemic corruption is a national duty that cannot be forsaken at any cost.

Use of efficient Technology and prompt communication is a core requirement for achieving faster outputs and in this regard chairman has computerized all major regional offices and upgraded the system.

Enforcement of the law and that too against bigwigs of the society comes at a cost, which often results in a malicious propaganda against NAB but NAB always believes in law and is continue to perform its duties without caring any pressure and threat.

But enforcement officials law and ensuring justice is what Javed Iqbal has learnt right from his early professional life as sessions judge from the southwestern city of Quetta to prestigious acting Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan.

A core principle of his way of enforcement of law is respect for eternal human values of dignity and respect. And Justice Javed Iqbal is matchless in maintains highest standards of ensuring the rights of the accused are well protected. NAB hopes that joint efforts of all stakeholders can materialised the dream of corruption free Pakistan into a reality.

This is NAB’s faith and this is what it stands for under the dynamic leadership of Justice Javed Iqbal.