Over 121 references lying for years with NAB go dormant

ISLAMABAD: More than 121 important references have gone dormant lying for years with the top anti-corruption watchdog, official documents revealed. As many as 926 of the total 1205 or 77 percent references could not be fixed for hearing in different accountability courts last year, raising question over the performance of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Only 279 or 23 percent of 1205 references were heard by different accountability courts last year, revealed an official document made available to this correspondent.

Over 81 references are consigned to the office, 11 references are sine died, evidence preserved in 18 cases and 11 references are either half decided or pending with different courts, added the official documents.

These references involved more than Rs990 billion of the state. More than 3,000 accused were involved in corrupt practices, revealed the official figures presented before parliament in May last year. In addition to it, NAB filed around 40 more references in different accountability courts in past seven months.

Dormant cases included ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif (Sept 8, 2017), ex Nazim Faisalabad Chaudhry Sher Ali, former president Asif Zardari (August 2000), Benazir Bhutto Ursus Tractor (Jan 1, 2001), Asif Zardari & Chris Clark (COTECHNA) (Feb 26, 2001), ex-MPA Chaudhry Riaz and this list goes on. Pending cases included ex-prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (Dec 19, 2018), Ch Muhammad Sharif, Usman Farooqui, Adnan Sherazi and M/s AH International Pvt Ltd, Major General (R) Khurshid Haider (evidence preserved in 2005), Roshan Khan (stayed on 2013), Saifur Rehman (2016), Asad Mehmood, mail peon GPO, Rawalpindi (Nov 2, 2007), Abid Hussain, ex-patwari, Mouza Kirpa (Nov 3, 2009), Ismail Qureshi (Nov 2012), Ibrahim Khosa (dormant) and late Begum Nusrat Bhutto's case is consigned to record.

These 1205 references have been filed in some 26 courts so far by NAB prosecution team where 361 references are being handled by Lahore NAB, 269 by Karachi NAB, 205 by Rawalpindi NAB, 183 by KP NAB, 82 by Balochistan NAB, 69 by Multan NAB and 36 references have been filed by the Sukkur NAB office in accountability courts. Official documents further revealed that 53 of 205 references are dormant in Rawalpindi NAB which had not been pursuing these references for years.

Some 54 of 205 references filed by Rawalpindi NAB team were heard by different courts last year. Some 33 references have been dormant with Karachi NAB for years. As many as 69 of 269 references were fixed for hearing in different accountability courts last year while seven references are sine-died in Karachi NAB, official figures continued to reveal.

Some 31 of 69 references are dormant with Multan NAB while only 18 references were heard last year at this station. Some two of 36 references are dormant while one out of 36 references is heard last year in Sukkur NAB. Some two of total 82 references heard last year in Balochistan NAB.

Some 64 of total 183 references were fixed for hearing in accountability courts last year in Peshawar NAB, evidence preserved in 18 references while three references are on stay and one on sine-died.

As many as 71 of total 361 references were fixed for hearing in Lahore NAB, 70 references consigned to record and three cases sine-died and not a single case is dormant in Lahore NAB. Informed officials confided to this correspondent that key inquiries/investigation are being conducted against key government functionaries namely Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak, KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, Adviser to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, Planning Minister Khusro Bakhtyar, PML-Q leaders Monis Elahi, Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervaiz Elahi, etc go slow. But they did not explain any reason of going slow on these inquiries by the NAB team.

More than 959 inquiries have been in progress at the regional bureaus of NAB since 2013, revealed the official figures. 575 inquiries have been finalised so far, 436 references were not fixed for hearing after Dec 3, 2018. 521 appeals have been filed by 521 the accused and 280 by the NAB, revealed the official documents.

Nawazish Ali Asim, Spokesperson for NAB, despite repeated requests, did not provide details on queries pertaining to these figures as just saying, "Matter is sub judice in court of law. Please avoid speculation."