ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice Javed Iqbal said that NAB’s top priority is to recover the looted money of affectees of housing and cooperative housing societies, Mudarba/Musharka, willful loan defaults under 31-D, bank frauds and scams etc, and to return it to the affectees with the intention to serve justice. He said these remarks while addressing a distribution ceremony held at NAB Headquarters.
He said, today Rs110 million is being returned to 809 affectees, while similar ceremonies were held at NAB Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi to return billions in looted money to government institutions, affectees and private persons.
Javed Iqbal said NAB has so far distributed Rs296 billion among different departments, affectees after recoveries from corrupt elements.
It is pertinent to mention that upon taking charge as NAB chairman, Javed Iqbal ordered to apprehend corrupt elements, proclaimed offenders and absconders. Resultantly 226 accused were apprehended besides filing corruption references against 217 persons, meanwhile, 25 proclaimed offenders and absconders were arrested in last seven months.
Cases have also been filed against the arrested persons in the respective accountability courts. NAB chairman said he indents to convene a meeting of Capital Development Authority (CDA), Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration, Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), Quetta Development Authority (QDA) and Karachi Development Authority (KDA) officers to chalk out a joint strategy to obstruct fake housing societies from looting people.
He suggested that this could be achieved by raising awareness among people about illegal societies so that they invest in societies having No Objection Certificates (NOC) and approved layout plans from concerned government authorities.
He added that the upcoming elections will not hinder NAB’s work as NAB continues to work within the boundaries of the law.
He said that NAB conducts alleged complaint verifications, inquiries and investigations as per law and does not believe in biased decision making; being a transparent and merit based organisation. He maintained that NAB believes in transparency and justice.
