NAB board launches inquiry against GB ex-CM

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday approved holding of 12 fresh inquiries, including against PML-N’s ex-chief minister Gilgit Baltistan (GB) Hafeezur Rehman and ex-city nazim Quetta Maqbool Ahmed Lehri.

The Executive Board of the NAB held its meeting Wednesday with the chair of its Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal, which approved holding of 12 inquires. The board authorised 12 inquiries against various personalities including Hafeezur Rehman, former GB CM and others including Rashid Ali Atro, Syed Masood Hussain Shah, Nasreen Kamran, Sajawal of Sindh Workers Welfare Board Government of Sindh, Abdul Hafeez and others, Fazal Amin Shah, Maqbool Ahmed Lehri, former city Nazim Quetta, former chairman Quetta Development Authority, and others, Saddam Bazai, Irrigation and Power Department Government of Balochistan, Saleh Muhammad of Plan International (NGO), Saeed Ahmed Proprietor GNS Traders, Abid Solango, Accountant, Population Department and others, Abdul Ghaffar, proprietor Rao and Rana Builders and Developers, Sukkur.

Addressing the board meeting, Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said that corruption is the root cause of all ills being confronted to the country and surgery is needed to eradicate the menace of corruption. He said the priority of NAB is to eradicate the mega corruption cases to logical conclusion.

Achieving the target of corruption-free Pakistan and eradication of the menace is the priority of the Bureau, he said, adding the NAB is vigorously pursuing the policy of accountability for all.

He said the NAB is the anti-corruption institution of the country which always believes in NAB. “The NAB has no affiliation with any political party, individual or group but it has affiliation with only the state of Pakistan,” he said. He said since inception, NAB has recovered Rs714 billion whereas record Rs487 billion from corrupt elements directly or indirectly during the current management.

He said that NAB and Pakistan can go side by side, while NAB and corruption could not go side by side. “All available resources were being utilised for logical conclusion of mega corruption cases as per law,” he said.

He said the NAB will continue performing its duties in accordance with the constitution and will not give attention to any criticism, pressure as NAB is law abiding organization and strongly believes in respect of every person as per law.

He asked to all concerned to put their full energies in defending solid and documentary corruption cases which were filed by NAB in the learned accountability courts instead of criticising NAB unheard unlawfully as the law will take its own course of action in the learned courts.

He said prestigious national and international institutions like Transparency International Pakistan, PILDAT and MISHAL Pakistan had already lauded the performance of NAB which is honour for the NAB.