NAB determined to end corruption: chairman

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal has said the NAB is determined to root out corruption with renewed vigour and determination.

Chairing a meeting to review the overall performance of the NAB on Tuesday, he expressed satisfaction over the performance of operation and prosecution divisions and all regional bureaus and directed them to pursue under-trial cases after complete preparation on the basis of solid evidence as per law.

The meeting was told that the prosecution division has been revamped after including experienced law officers and special prosecutors. It was informed that due to these measures, the conviction ratio is about 68.8 per cent which is the best as compared to other such institutions.

“The NAB has recovered Rs 466 billion since its inception and deposited the amount recovered from the corrupt in the national exchequer,” the meeting was informed. The NAB chairman said the NAB is an apex anti-corruption national institution having no affiliation with any individual, group or party but with the state.

He said the NAB has received more complaints than in 2019, which shows that people’s trust has increased in the NAB. As per Gilani and Gallop surveys, 59 per cent people have expressed their confidence in the NAB.

He said the NAB is a role model for Saarc countries. The World Economic Forum and the Transparency International Pakistan have lauded NAB efforts for corruption elimination. “The NAB is the first chairman of the Saarc Anti-corruption Forum and is the only institution which signed an MoU with China for the supervision of CPEC projects,” he said, adding that the NAB has introduced combined investigation teams for transparency and increasing the standard of investigations.

The NAB chairman directed all regional bureaus to ensure complaint verification, inquiries and investigations on merit.