‘NAB is people and business-friendly organisation’

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said that NAB is a people and business friendly organisation and has great regard for the business community which is playing an important role in the country's progress.

“The NAB has referred the cases of income tax, sales tax and under invoicing to Federal Board of Revenue,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

NAB chairman said he had not only addressed business community at Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce Karachi (FPCCI) Chamber of Commerce Lahore and Islamabad Chamber of Commerce, Islamabad but held various meetings with a delegation of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce Karachi (FPCCI), delegation of Flour Mills Association, delegation of Cotton Ginners Association and delegation of Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He said the NAB has established a special desk under the supervision of director and deputy director at NAB headquarters Islamabad to address the complaints of the business community. “The business community leaders lauded the efforts for addressing their problems timely which is very much on record,” he said.

Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said that the cases of sugar scam, fake bank accounts, money laundering, LNG, 56 companies, misuse of authority, assets beyond known sources of income and cheating public at large will be taken to logical conclusion as per law as NAB has no affiliation with any individual, party or organisation. “The NAB strongly believes in zero percent corruption -100% development policy as per law,” he said.

He said the NAB has filed 1,273 references in the learned accountability courts throughout the country and out of 1,273 references, the references against the business community are less than one percent.

Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said the NAB has recovered Rs487 billion directly and indirectly in last three years and the total amount recovered by NAB since its inception is Rs814 billion which is a record achievement. “Out of recovered money, NAB officers/officials have not received even single rupees as NAB officers consider eradication of corruption as their national duty,” he said.

He said that action is being taken against fake/illegal housing societies and modarba scandals on depriving the poor people of their hard earned money.

He said the housing societies neither handed over them plots nor had returned their hard earned money.

The NAB chairman said the poor investors are running from pillar to post to get their money back. NAB has returned billions of rupees to victims of housing societies after recovering from fake and illegal housing societies which were working in Lahore, Multan, Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar and other areas of the country.

He said the performance of NAB has appreciated by reputed national and international organisations like Transparency International Pakistan, World Economic Forum, Global Peace Canada, PILDAT

and Mishal Pakistan. “As per a survey of Gilani and Gallup, 59 percent people have shown trust upon NAB,” he said.