NAB chief appears before PAC

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday and told the committee that he was ready to share the details of every penny recovered by the Bureau during last twenty years.

The PAC meeting was held under its Chairman Rana Tanveer Hussain in which NAB chairman gave briefing of the total recoveries made by the Bureau. Justice (R) Javed Iqbal told the committee that NAB had so far recovered Rs882 billion and Rs587 billion in his tenure till March 2022.

He said that the audit of NAB recoveries was done by Auditor General of Pakistan. The officials told the committee that NAB recovered Rs500 billion directly, Rs198 billion from bank loan defaulters and received Rs45 billion in court fines.

He told the committee that NAB had repaid more than Rs25 billion to more than one lakh and seventy seven thousand victims of housing societies and other issues. PAC Chairman Rana Tanveer Hussain said, “NAB has done a good job but still needs to do a lot.”

He said, “There are such groups in Lahore having no land but are receiving billions of rupees while the NAB did nothing on wheat and medicine scandal during Imran Khan tenure.” Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said that NAB recovered Rs25 billion and the amount was reimbursed to the victims of a housing society in Rawalpindi. The NAB chairman said that NAB should be commended for its work during his tenure.

To which Rana Tanveer Hussain said that NAB officials were already taking huge salaries and benefits. PAC chairman questioned how the recoveries of Rs40 billion in three month increased. The NAB officials said that NAB made many recoveries in this period.

PAC chairman asked whether the officials who made the plea bargains were sacked from their jobs. The NAB chairman said that as many as 444 officers entered into the plea bargain and all the officers had been removed from their jobs.

Rana Tanveer said many officers who made plea bargains are still on their jobs. NAB chairman said that 99 percent of the officials were sacked and Bureau was writing letters to the secretaries and chief secretaries for the removal of such officers. “We had mailed the list of 288 officers to the Supreme Court and Chief Secretaries,” he told the committee.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif also sought details about the Broadsheet. The NAB chairman said that a commission of Justice Azmat Saeed was formed on this matter and its ToRs were issued. “Everything is in the fact finding report. PAC chairman sought briefing on mega scams such as LNG, wheat scandal, medicine scheme, Malam Jabba and others. The NAB chairman replied that Rawalpindi NAB DG is investigating the medicine scam while Malam Jabba case is sub judice.

NAB chairman said that courts have issued stay orders in Peshawar BRT and Malam Jabba cases. Meanwhile, NAB Chairman Justice (R) Javed Iqbal said the NAB has affiliation only with Pakistan and no word of political engineering exists in the Bureau.

In a press talk , NAB chairman parried the question whether he would resign after exit of Imran Khan. Asked whether there will be an inquiry into Imran Khan's gifts, the NAB chairman countered the question saying no such investigation is under way.

Asked about the remarks of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbassi with regard to NAB, the NAB chairman said he will not respond it as Shahid Khaqan Abbassi is a former prime minister and respectable for him.