‘Reservations of some businessmen to COAS were unjustified’

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal has said the reservations expressed by some traders to the army chief were unjustified.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Justice Javed Iqbal said the NAB will never take unfriendly steps against businessmen. “We are working to provide a good environment for the businessmen in the country,” he said.

“The NAB does not formulate business policies,” he said, adding that the accountability body took measures for the betterment of the business community. The accountability watchdog chief further said he demanded arbitrary authority and that the NAB has been working independently within the law. “We are being watched by some as an institution that is solely responsible for the current economic crisis in the country,” Javed Iqbal said, adding, “We have our boundaries and we try to work within them."

Speaking about the business community that termed some of NAB policies as unreasonable, the NAB chairman said the allegations levelled by traders on the accountability body were unjustified. “The allegations of some of the traders were unreasonable and I reject them. We are trying to provide a better environment to work in where they (businessmen) do not have to worry about anything,” the NAB chairman said.

“Traders also expressed reservations over the NAB during their meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. NAB is an institution that is working tirelessly to make Pakistan a corruption-free country. It’s not our job to make business policies or try to meddle in the affairs of investors,” he said.

He added that NAB had no role in increasing or decreasing the dollar rate. "All the issues of the traders would be solved 100 percent," he added. “I visited business community in Lahore a few days ago and briefed them about steps taken for addressing their problems and established special cells, but in the last five months, no complaint from business community has been received while even three main businessmen had written appreciation letters to the NAB,” he said.

The NAB chairman said the business community is the backbone of country’s progress and NAB is ready to resolve their problems as the NAB respects business community. Javed Iqbal said the business community’s income and sales tax related cases would be referred to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

“The NAB would not take suo motu action against bank defaulters and will refer their cases banking courts for appropriate action as per law,” he said. The NAB chairman said he is ready to withdraw cases against housing societies if they provide the promised plots, apartments to the affectees within eight weeks. He said that action is being taken against illegal private housing societies as they have looted the hard-earned money of innocent people and not provided them promised plots etc.

The NAB chairman said the father of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah said in his speech in 1947 that corruption and nepotism were the two big issues of Pakistan. He said the strong economy is basic ingredient for the progress of any country and ensures strong defence and stability.

“Without strong economy, the country can never be made strong,” he said. Javed Iqbal said the NAB never takes action in bank default cases, but only the State Bank under 31-D refers such cases to the Bureau. “Action starts after failure of settlement between client and the bank,” he said.

He said no NAB official would telephone any businessmen and if required the director general of NAB would send notice after satisfaction and also write reasons for sending notice. “In case of unsatisfactory reply, the businessmen would not be summoned but sent a questionnaire and will be summoned if answer of questionnaire was unsatisfactory,” he said.

Javed Iqbal said he will fix a special day for listening to the grievances of business community. “I will visit each and every region for listening businessmen’s problems,” he said. He urged media to publish and air the NAB-related news after obtaining official point of view and avoid speculations. He said the NAB welcomes positive criticism.

“A section of press has made a habit to criticise the NAB sans any cogent reason. Majority of such segment did not know the NAB Ordinance/laws. A senior reporter on every mega reference pleads not-guilty which is against the journalism ethics. That section of media could not perform the duties of judiciary. Who is right and wrong is the only jurisdiction of the court,” he said, adding that the critics must read the reports of Transparency International Pakistan and World Economic Forum/Mishal Pakistan who have appreciated the performance of the NAB.

Javed Iqbal said a businessman questioned him in Lahore that why prompt recovery was not made from the corrupt on pattern of Saudi Arabia, he replied that the NAB does not believe in Saudi model. “Recession in economy could be overcome with better policies and vibrant bureaucracy,” he said.