NAB not pursuing tax-related issues of businessmen: chairman

ISLAMABAD: The Chairman National Accountability Bureau, Justice (R) Javed Iqbal, on Monday said that NAB was not pursuing the sales and income tax related cases of the business community and had transferred all of them to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) as per law.

“The notices issued by NAB Multan to flour mills owners of Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan Divisions are being held in abeyance as the matter is subjudice in a court of law and second the Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab is also probing the matter,” he said while talking with a delegation of Pakistan Flour Mills Association at the NAB headquarters. The delegation was led by Asim Raza Khan, Chairman Punjab Flour Mills Association comprising Muhammad Riaz, former Chairman Punjab, Muhammad Jamil, former Vice Chairman, Munir Ahmed, Secretary General and Malik Ghulam Mustafa Arif.

The chairman NAB said he will himself examine the cases as per law and asked the business community to provide flour to people at the rates fixed by the government. He termed it a rumor that the business community was perturbed due to NAB actions, which is not correct as out of 1,210 references filed by the NAB in the accountability courts in various parts of the country, the cases of business community are not more than 2 percent, which negated the propaganda. He said the business community is playing an important role in the economic development of the country. “NAB has great regard for their valuable services in the progress and prosperity of the country,” he said and added a prosperous business community makes prosperous Pakistan. “The NAB is performing its national duties as per law,” he said.

Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal said that he had himself decided to hold an ‘Open Katchery’ on last Thursday of every month to hear citizens' complaints related to corruption. He said the NAB is not only entertaining hundreds of complaints in the ‘Open Katchery’ but has also received thousands of complaints in 2020 which are almost double than 2019. He said that NAB has also initiated action against illegal housing societies and 'Modarba' scams.

The Chairman NAB, Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, said that the business community is the backbone of the country and NAB accords high priority to resolving their issues by establishing special complaints cells at the NAB headquarters and all regional bureaus of NAB. He said that NAB had established a special desk last year headed by a director at the NAB headquarters to address the issues of the business community. “The NAB is trying its utmost to address the problems of the business community as per law,” he said.

The delegation of Pakistan Flour Mills Association, led by Asim Raza Khan, Chairman Punjab Flour Mills Association, lauded the personal efforts of chairman NAB for resolving the issues of business community and expressed confidence in NAB. He appreciated the remarkable efforts for eradication of corruption under the dynamic leadership of Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal for making Pakistan corruption free. He assured all-out support of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association in this regard.