ISLAMABAD, Feb 8 (APP): National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal Tuesday said the Bureau could not produce the desired results without bringing reforms in the system.
It was quite a difficult task to give 100 percent results, until and unless the loopholes in the system were removed and the corruption cases dealt on the fast-track basis, he said addressing an event of returning money to the victims of corruption scams here at the NAB headquarters.
He said despite all hurdles, the conviction rate had jumped to over 59 percent.
The shortcomings could not be removed overnight as it would take a due course of time to streamline the system, he added.
He particularly highlighted the four-year performance of NAB, saying 2,460 inquiries were held and 820 investigations conducted while 1,237 references involving Rs 1,335 billion were pending with various NAB courts.
He said if the pending cases could not reach their logical conclusion, it was due to the centuries old system being practiced in 2022.
The NAB chairman said if the international organizations were eulogizing the national anti-graft watchdog, it was just because of its extraordinary services and performance.
He urged the people to have first-hand information about the subject, legal process and steps taken by the quarters concerned before criticizing the national institution of accountability.
He lamented that almost 75 percent critics had not taken the view point of NAB till date.
Lauding the performance of NAB Director General Rawalpindi Irfan Naeem Mangi and his team, he said the recovered funds of Rs 1,950 million were being distributed among the 8,500 affected people of the National House Building and Road Development Corporation while Rs 1,080 million in the Gulshan Rehman Housing Scheme or Accurate Builders and Contractors Private Limited’s affectees via cheques.
He said the ratio of complaints of corruption was very thin because NAB had initiated 400 disciplinary actions so far, in which 200 inquiries had completed and some of them were at their final stages.
Brushing aside the impression of doing others accountability, he said NAB had a proper mechanism to hold its own staffers accountable as well. He said the record of all funds recovered by NAB so far was available with complete audit and anyone could oversee it if doubted. Earlier, he also appreciated the unwavering efforts of NAB Director Information Nawazish Asim who worked even during the days he tested positive for COVID-19 to project the positive image of NAB in media.
On this occasion, NAB Director General Rawalpindi Irfan Naeem Mangi said it was a big day as the people whose hard-earned money looted by the land developers, had been given back. He said there were certain elements who deceived innocent people through various tactics like housing schemes, high returns in the wake of business investments etcetera.
He said such affairs, sometimes, got lingered on for a long time due to certain technical and constitutional hiccups. However, any case taken up by NAB would be reached to its logical conclusion, he assured.
Mangi said these days, there was no untouchable or sacred goat considering itself above the law of land in the country.
He said through plea bargain with the land developers, NAB recovered more than the embezzled amount which would be distributed among the affected people approximately 70 to 80 percent above their original money.
He further said if there was any institution fighting the case of Pakistan in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), it was NAB whose case were being presented in the FATF regarding the measures being taken by Pakistan to cope with the menace of money laundering and corruption.
Lauding the visionary leadership of NAB chairman, he said NAB had achieved many milestones during the last four years which it could not secure in the 17 years’ history.
In the end, the NAB chairman distributed cheques among the affected people.
