TI Pakistan concerned over changes in NAB law

ISLAMABAD: The Transparency International (TI) Pakistan while expressing the concerns on recent development of negotiations on the amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO), 1999 saying that changes in NAO, 1999 are welcome for transparent accountability, but are to be made carefully with respect to Pakistan government‘s commitments on Anti-Corruption in UNCAC, FATF, OECD Convention and Sustainable Development Goals.

“Under the leadership of NAB Chairman Justice ® Javed Iqbal, anticorruption drive in last 34 months has resulted in an impact much needed since its inception, and NAB has so far made recovery of Rs466 billion which is a remarkable achievement,” said TI Chairman Pakistan Sohail Muzaffar in a statement on Thursday.

Chairman TI Pakistan also said that Pakistan has ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) on 9th August 2007. “And the President of Pakistan under Article 6 of UNCAC, has nominated National Accountability Bureau as the Authority which will develop and implement of Pakistan specific anti-corruption measures in the country and cooperate at international level. Under UNCAC Article 5 Pakistan has committed for the Preventive anti-corruption policies and practices,” he said.

He said the NAB since its inception despite its weaknesses, has played a very positive roles in curbing corruption and TI Corruption Perception Index of Pakistan is regularly improved. “In 1999 Pakistan CPI Score was 22/100, the rank 87 out of 99 countries, and in 2019 Pakistan has achieved the CPI Score of 32/100, and the rank 120 out of 180 countries,” he said.