The three days 21st Director Generals Conference of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has concluded in Islamabad on Wednesday with a determination to pursue the corruption cases according to merit and transparently. Chairman NAB Qamar Zaman Chaudhry chaired the conference. The conference thoroughly deliberated the performance of all Regional Bureaus and NAB Headquarter including operation, prosecution and Awareness and Prevention Divisions of the NAB and reviewed measures taken by the present management of NAB in order to further improve the performance and efficiency of NAB.
While addressing the concluding session of the conference Chairman NAB said that NAB was established to eradicate corruption and looted money from corrupt. NAB had chalked out a very comprehensive operational methodology for proceeding of cases complaint verification, inquiry and investigation. NAB's investigation officers strictly follow Code of Conduct and zero tolerance policy on the basis of evidence as per law. The year 2014 which we can be called basically a year of re-invigoration of NAB, he said. He said that to close the possibility of any single NAB officer/official influencing the discharge of official business, the concept of a "Combined Investigation Team" (CIT) was introduced where two investigation officers and a legal consultant are working as a team for a fair, transparent and unbiased, inquiry/ investigation.
He said that Prosecution was also given targets and as a result of endeavours, the accountability court conviction ratio is now 76%. He said NAB has recovered Rs 278 billion since its inception from corrupt and deposited in the national exchequer. NAB has received 3, 21,318 complaints which were all disposed off according to law. NAB has authorized 7124 inquiries, 3616 investigation and filed 2610 in the respective Accountability Courts to proceed against allegedly corrupt people since its inception. In short span of 16 years, NAB's performance is a record achievement which is better than any investigation agency of the world. He further directed all concerned to double their efforts in eradication of corruption from the country.
He said that an effective accountability mechanism is quintessential for economic growth, investment and stability of social order. The intervention by NAB has acted as a catalyst, as transparency is a prerequisite for promoting investment and economic growth. Since its inception, NAB had adopted the Enforcement based approach in its fight against corruption. Special focus is therefore being given to Awareness and Prevention activities besides Enforcement to educate the people at large about ill effects of corruption. It was decided that NAB's anti-corruption strategy of Awareness and Prevention and Enforcement has proved very successful which will be continue in future.
He said that the figures of complaints, inquiries and investigations are almost double as compared to the same period of 2014 to 2015 and in the six months of 2016. The comparative figures for the latest two and half years are indicative of the hard work being put in by all ranks of NAB staff in an atmosphere of renewed energy and dynamism, where fight against corruption is being taken as a national duty. Increase in the number of complaints also reflects enhanced public trusted in the NAB. NAB with improved infrastructure and rationalised workload, timelines have been prescribed for efficient, effective and expeditious disposal of case putting a maximum limit of 10 months- from complaint verification-to-inquiry-to investigation and finally to a reference in Accountability Court, he added.
It was decided that youth is the future of Pakistan; therefore NAB will continue its policy to give special emphases on involving youth in order to aware them about the ill effects of corruption from an early age so that they may hate corruption in all its forms in future, he added. The Chairman further said that NAB in collaboration with HEC has established more than 42 thousands Character Building Societies (CBS) in all the leading Universities and Colleges across the country to build an effective edifice against corruption which will be increased during 2016.
He said that NAB has established state of the art Forensic Lab in Rawalpindi which has facilities of Digital Forensics, Questioned Documents and Fingerprint Analysis. NAB has hosted first SAARC Anti Corruption Seminar in which SAARC countries have agreed to create SAARC Anti-Corruption Forum which is great achievement for Pakistan as Pakistan is the only country in SAARC countries that Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has decreased from 126 to 117.
He said that NAB has proposed Whistle Blower Act which has approved by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Soon it will be presented before the Federal Cabinet for further deliberations as per law.-PR