The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has remained under criticism throughout the year. It was alleged that the NAB favoured the government while it took strict action against opposition political parties, its investigations remained imperfect and it largely ignored the sugar scam. The NAB chairperson considers this criticism nothing but a ‘blame game’.

The NAB claim of recovering Rs 821 billion since its inception came under question when it was brought to light that the recovery fund deposited stands at Rs 6.5 billion. The finance ministry has also brought another story of NAB’s total recovery since its inception and the deposit that the National Accountability Bureau has made in the national kitty. The finance ministry has informed the standing committee that the NAB claims that Rs 821.5 billion has been recovered till September 2021 while the deposit in the federal consolidated fund is only Rs 6.5 billion. The NAB statements have shown that out of the total recovery of Rs 714 billion in white-collar crime cases since its inception in 1999, the anti-corruption watchdog has recovered over Rs 535 billion during the last three years with its Rawalpindi region chapter showing best performance through its major contribution to the recoveries.

On the question of favouring the government, Justice Javed Iqbal (retired), the chairperson of NAB, told the media just before his Public Accounts Committee (PAC) appearance that no one had submitted complaints against the government. About the sugar and wheat scandals, he told the media that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was answerable for these scandals but not the NAB.

Shahzaib Khanzada has scrutinized the NAB chairperson’s verdict on both issues in his programme, Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada kay Sath. He asserts that the NAB has a history of picking up random cases without getting any complaint and starting investigation. On sugar and wheat scandals, Khanzada pointed out that in April 2020, the NAB Executive Board decided to take action against those involved in the scandals. Following the decision, some ministers from the PTI were interrogated. Now, the NAB chairperson has passed the blame to the FIA.

Justice Iqbal has also denied the allegations that NAB is favouring the PTI government. He maintains that the allegations are no more than a blame game.

Meanwhile, several cases involving PTI leaders, including federal and provincial ministers, are still pending with the NAB. Some of these include big guns like Azam Khan, personal secretary to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is facing a corruption case related to the Malam Jabba resort project. Other members of the PTI allegedly involved in corruption are: Religious Affairs Minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, former health minister Aamir Kayani and former Punjab senior minister Aleem Khan.

PTI ministers and brothers – Khusro Bakhtiar and Hashim Jawan Bakhat – are also facing charges of having assets beyond declared means. However, NAB’s Lahore officer has not completed investigation after more than one year. The family reportedly owns assets worth Rs 100 billion.

The general public, surely, wants to see accountability happening across the board, says Salman Abid, a political analyst. Unfortunately, the NAB has been unable to establish its credibility in the general public. A majority believes that the anti-corruption watchdog could do better, he adds.

The NAB has been unsuccessful in holding political leaders, bureaucracy and others accountable because of its very feeble investigation and legal system, and the weak political will, says Abid. The ruling elite do not want to have an arduous accountability system in the country, he says.

Abid says that the responsibility of any anti-corruption watchdog is to keep a strong, independent and constant vigilance over the government and its functionaries to unearth corruption, investigate and prosecute wherever it is necessary and without waiting for any complaint.

In several cases, the appellate courts have taken the NAB to task over its performance, as well as, hundreds of pending cases. Justice Gulzar Ahmed, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, once stated that the anti-graft body, “is not making any progress in pursuing cases, some of which have been pending for even 10 years.”

Some analysts, including former NAB officers, however, still try to defend the NAB. Brig Farooq Hameed (retired), a former director-general of the NAB Punjab, is not ready to accept the allegations that the NAB is biased or incompetent. He says that “people cannot put all the blame on one institution where there are many serious and unavoidable hurdles in the way of accountability.”

“Our judicial system is the biggest hurdle to accountability in Pakistan”, says Brig Hameed. He strongly believes that Pakistan must have a strong anti-corruption watchdog to take actions against the corrupt and mafias of our country without any pressure. But, without having a supportive judicial system, the expected outcome of such an important institution cannot be maintained, he concludes.

The controversy surrounding the NAB chairman’s extension has been one of the highlights of this year. The PTI government has given extension to Justice Javed Iqbal by making amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO-1999).

Prime Minister Imran Khan has always been a great critic of the policy of extension but during his own tenure it has been a routine, says political analyst Tahir Malik. “Unfortunately, incompetence of our political leadership makes them shortsighted – they look disinterested in strengthening accountability institutions.”

“Rest assured”, he concludes, “given the stake holders’ approach, a corruption watchdog capable of performing well and within its limits, will not be created.”

The author is a staff member. He can be reached at   warraichshehryar@gmail.com