NAB recovered Rs11.56 trillion in five years, senate told

The Senate was informed on Friday that the National Accountability Bureau recovered Rs11.56 trillion over the past five years through direct recoveries, plea bargains, voluntary returns, settlements and retrieval of state land.

Responding to a question by Senator Talha Mahmood, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said the total recoveries amounted to Rs11,565,257.62 million. He said the amount was secured through coordinated efforts by NAB with the support of federal and provincial governments.

The minister stated that large tracts of state land, including forest land that had remained under illegal occupation for decades, particularly in Punjab and Sindh, were retrieved and handed over to the relevant provincial authorities. He added that the recovered land was formally endorsed by the respective provincial departments.

Providing a year-wise account, Tarar said that in 2021 NAB recorded direct recoveries of Rs16,953.79 million, Rs48.58 million through voluntary returns and Rs69,289.46 million under miscellaneous recoveries.

In 2022, direct recoveries stood at Rs3,927.19 million, with Rs10 million recovered through voluntary return and Rs554.35 million under miscellaneous heads.

For the period from 2023 to 2025, the bureau recovered Rs45,002.11 million directly, Rs50.22 million through voluntary return, Rs38,004.29 million through settlements, Rs10,982,000 million in state land recoveries and Rs409,417.63 million under miscellaneous recoveries.

The law minister told the House that NAB functions as an independent institution under its own legal framework. He noted that amendments to accountability laws were introduced in June 2023 to improve transparency and prevent misuse of the process.

Tarar said the bureau’s recent focus has been on recovery of public funds and reducing losses to the national exchequer. He clarified that plea bargain and voluntary return mechanisms operate within legal provisions and entail consequences, including disqualification from holding public office for a specified period.

He reiterated that the government does not interfere in NAB’s affairs, as the bureau operates under the National Accountability Bureau Act.