2016 — a difficult year for NAB

LAHORE

The year 2016 proved difficult for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as it received widespread criticism for its ‘powers’ of letting accused go scot free by offering them ‘special packages’ like Plea Bargain (PB) and Voluntary Return (VR).

During the later part of December 2016, NAB was also taken to task for accepting PB worth Rs 2 billion of former Balochistan Finance Secretary Mushtaq Ahmad Raisani and Sohail Majeed Shah, a contractor.

In May 2016, NAB, in its one of the biggest cash recoveries of its history, had recovered more than Rs730 million worth of currency and prize bonds from the residence of Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani and arrested him for allegedly embezzling billions of rupees from local government development fund.

Among the prominent politicians who condemned the PB and VR options of the Bureau included two top guns of the ruling PML-N, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan. Besides, Chairman PTI Imran Khan also criticised such powers of NAB. Imran Khan and Ch Nisar even suggested that Prime Minister and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly shouldn’t appoint Chairman NAB. Moving one step further, PTI chief suggested that appointment of NAB chief should be made by the SC to keep executive’s influence at a bay and allowing him to work independently and freely even against the ruling government.

The Punjab CM while criticising the PB option said it should be changed immediately in order to stop looting and plundering of national exchequer.

Earlier during a hearing, the SC had also criticised the PB and VR options of NAB.

Besides PB, the Bureau also came under questions for letting scot free around 1600 accused civil servants who availed the option of VR in cases of corruption and corrupt practices. These accused governments had returned around Rs 2.2 billion and returned to their jobs without acing any criminal charges.

During hearing a case related to NAB, the SC also questioned how such officials were still holding their charges after they had admitted their wrong doings before the NAB authorities. The superior court also ordered to remove all those officials who entered into VR but still holding their positions.

During the same year, NAB also faced criticism for its response in the Supreme Court, expressing its inability to investigate revelations made by Panama Papers. 

Among the prominent cases which have been pending with the NAB Lahore since 2000, as mentioned in a report submitted by the Bureau to the Supreme Court in October last, include a case against the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and former Chief Secretary Javed Mehmood and others for alleged illegal allotment of LDA plots. 

Similarly, NAB couldn’t finalise probe against former Prime Minister Ch Shujaat Hussain and former chief minister Punjab Ch Pervaiz Elahi. Both the leaders are facing an inquiry of assets beyond means and misuse of authority amounting to Rs 2.4 billion. The inquiry is pending with the Bureau since 2000. 

There has been a strong opinion in the legal and political circles that the regime of the then military dictator, Gen Pervez Musharraf, used the NAB for instituting cases for arm-twisting and breaking political loyalties to strengthen his own rule. Despite these cases pending since 2000, the history witnessed elevation of Shujaat Hussain as the prime minister and later Pervaiz Ellahi as deputy prime minister. 

NAB made headlines for starting probe against the sitting PML-N minister in Punjab when the Bureau started two separate inquires against the then Punjab Minister for Sports and Culture Rana Mashhood for his alleged role in collecting money from Asim Malik, the owner of a visa consultancy firm, as was shown in a video. The other inquiry started against him was about the Punjab Youth Festival. None of the two inquires couldn’t be completed during 2016. 

In the same year, no breakthrough could be made in the probe of former MNA Raheela Kausar who is facing inquiry for accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income amounting to Rs 8.67 million.

Similarly, NAB which initiated an inquiry against PPP’s former federal minister Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan in 2014 couldn’t complete the same in 2016. The PPP leader is facing the charges of misuse of authority and alleged embezzlement in movable property.

Three separate inquiries started in 2013 against Asif Akhtar Hashmi, former Chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), the then management of ETPB and others accused couldn’t be completed even in the year 2016. They are facing charges of a collective loss of Rs 1.4 billion (in two cases) for allegedly illegally selling ETPB property, measuring 34 kanals, 12 marla and 150 Sqf situated at Railway Road, Lahore, illegal appointments in ETPB, illegal investment, illegally leasing/renting properties of the Board and entering into a land deal with DHA Lahore, compromising ETPB’s interests.

The NAB data also shows that inquiry against Liaqat Durrani, President/Managing Director, Punjab Provincial Cooperative Bank and others couldn’t be completed in the 2016. This case deals with misuse of authority and loan default causing a loss of Rs 860 million to the national exchequer. 

NAB also failed to complete an inquiry against Dr Faiz ul Hassan, former VC University of Education Lahore in the year 2016. The former VC is facing charges of misuse of authority by making illegal appointments. Inquiry against Dr Faiz was initiated in 2015.

On the other hand NAB Lahore initiated some important cases in 2016 but couldn’t complete them in later months. 

Among the prominent cases/inquiries included famous DHA Lahore City Scam. In January 2016, NAB Lahore arrested Hammad Arshad, owner of Globaco (Pvt) Ltd In a famous Rs 15-billion DHA City scandal on the charges of cheating people. Kamran Kayani, a brother of former army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, was also co-accused in the same case.

It may be relevant to mention here that during an informal talk with media persons, the Director General NAB Lahore Maj (Retd) Syed Burhan Ali has stated that the Bureau had completed investigation against the former chairman ETPB Syed Asif Hashmi and a reference would also be filed against him in due course. 

During the year 2016, the NAB Lahore initiated inquiry against former Punjab University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran for his alleged role in illegal appointments in the Punjab University. The bureau also started probe into affairs of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). 

In response to calls and email about updates in the NAB cases in 2016, the NAB’s spokesman said he has no updates related to top politicians but claimed that the probe against Rana Mashhood has entered from inquiry to investigation stage. He said probe against Dr Faiz ul Hassan is at the inquiry stage as well.

It may be important to mention here that about two weeks back, the DG NAB Lahore has stated that the Lahore Bureau has directly recovered Rs 1053 million looted money under Plea Bargain (PB) and Voluntarily Return (VR) during the year 2016 only.

 The DG NAB said around 7528 complaints received from which 7078 disposed off whereas 523 Complaints Verifications (CVs) were authorised and among those 265 inquires were authorised and 110 investigations were authorised in the same year too.

The DG said 26 corruption cases amounting to Rs 3 billion are also pending before the Lahore High Court.

Lt General (retd) Zahid Ali Akbar was also among those accused who availed NAB’s facility of Plea Bargain and returned Rs 200 million to NAB Lahore in a case of misappropriation funds in 2016. Gen Zahid has remained the Commander Rawalpindi Corps and later remained chairman Wapda from 1987 to 1992 besides serving as Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board. He was accused of having assets beyond source of income.