ISLAMABAD: The top accountability watchdog has set a historic record by recovering Rs3.8 trillion or $13.57 billion in just one year, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lieutenant General (retd) Nazir Ahmed said on Monday.
Addressing the special event held in connection with Anti-Corruption Day, the NAB chairman said that the bureau had directly or indirectly recovered Rs6.1 trillion since its establishment.
He commended the outstanding performance of NAB Karachi, Sukkur, and KP. Ahmed said NAB Karachi and Sukkur regions have collectively saved Rs2.4 trillion and Rs1.1 trillion, respectively, by recovering forest land across an area of 1.8 million hectares.
Similarly, KP NAB has achieved indirect and consequential savings of Rs194.9 billion, he said.
In addition to this, the NAB has processed 22,000 applications. Due to reforms, the filing of false complaints has been discouraged, leading to a reduction in such complaints from 4,000 per month to just 400 per month, the NAB chairman added.
He emphasised that corruption, in any form, is the greatest barrier to sustainable development and economic prosperity.
The chairman reiterated NAB’s commitment to fighting corruption, safeguarding national assets, recovering embezzled funds, and returning them to the public.
The event was attended by NAB Deputy Chairman Sohail Nasir, the UNODC Representative in Pakistan, and a large number of senior NAB officers.
He further said that 65% of the country’s population is under the age of 30, and the youth represent the future.
“To achieve this, a public awareness programme will be launched with the support of educational and research institutions, along with various stakeholders.”
The NAB is not only dedicated to combating corruption but has also shown exceptional performance in safeguarding national assets, recovering stolen funds, and returning them to the public, he added.
Addressing the event, the NAB chairman urged officers to work with utmost dedication and enthusiasm to swiftly provide relief to victims in the real estate sector.
He also mentioned that the anti-graft watchdog has signed MoUs with 10 countries to expedite the resolution of corruption cases.
