NAB committed to bring corrupt elements especially big fish to justice: Javed Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 (SABAH): Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chaired a meeting to review overall performance of NAB especially convictions made during the tenure of Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, from October 10, 2017 till December 31, 2021 under Section 10 of National Accountability Ordinance (NAO)-1999 and under Section 25 (b) of NAO-1999 at NAB Headquarters.
Zahir Shah, Deputy Chairman NAB, Syed Asghar Haider, Prosecutor General Accountability (PGA), Masood Alam Khan, DG Operations, other senior officers of NAB besides all Director General (DG’s), Regional Bureaus of NAB attended the meeting via video link.
Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal appreciated the excellent performance of all Regional Bureaus of NAB for putting excellent work in bringing the corrupt elements to justice as per law where the Learned Accountability Courts of the country convicted 1405 accused persons due to vigorous prosecution of all Regional Bureaus of NAB NAB in coordination with Operations and Prosecution Divisions, NAB Headquarters. Chairman NAB said that NAB always believes in working in accordance with Law. The effective National Anti Corruption Strategy and Accountability for All policy of NAB have started yielding remarkable excellent results as compared to previous years.
During the meeting, it was informed that 10x accused persons were convicted in 2021 till Dec 31, 2021 by learned Accountability Courts Rawalpindi/Islamabad on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Rawalpindi under section 10 of NAO-1999 through vigorous prosecution. Similarly in the year 2020, 13x accused persons, in the year 2019, 09x accused persons, while in the year 2018 and 20x accused persons were convicted by learned Accountability Courts under section 10 of NAO-1999. It was further informed that during 2021, 24x accused persons were convicted by different learned Accountability Courts Rawalpindi/Islamabad on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Rawalpindi under section 25(b) of NAO-1999. Similarly in the year 2020, 21x accused persons, in the year 2019, 23x accused persons while in the year 2018, 08x accused persons were convicted by different learned Accountability Courts under section 25(b) of NAO-1999.
During the meeting, it was informed that 7x accused persons were convicted in the year 2021, on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Lahore in learned Accountability Courts, Lahore under section 10 of NAO-1999. Similarly during the year 2020, 12x accused persons, in the year 2019, 03x accused persons, in the year 2018, 28x accused persons, while in the year 2017, 12x accused persons were convicted by learned Accountability Courts under section 10 of NAO-1999. During the meeting, it was further informed that 23x accused persons were convicted by learned Accountability Courts, Lahore during 2021 on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Lahore under Section 25(b) of NAO-1999. In the year 2020, NAB Lahore got 26x accused persons convicted, in the year 2019, 59x accused persons and similarly in the year 2018, 62x whereas in the year 2017 from Oct 10, 2017 to Dec 31, 2017 13x accused persons were convicted by different learned Accountability Courts under section 25(b) of NAO-1999.
During the meeting, DG Operations informed that during 2021, 53x accused persons were convicted by different learned Accountability Courts of Karachi on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Karachi under section 10 of NAO-1999. In the year 2020, 24x accused persons, in the year 2019, 56x accused persons, similarly in the year 2018, 72x accused persons while from October 10 to 31 December 2017, 13x accused persons were convicted by different learned Accountability Courts under section 10 of NAO-1999. DG Operations further informed that during 2021, 23x accused persons were convicted by different learned Accountability Courts of Karachi on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Karachi under section 25(b) of NAO-1999. Similarly in the year 2020, 32x accused persons were convicted, in the year 2019, 94x accused persons, 44x accused persons in the year 2018, while from October 10, 2017 to Dec 31, 2017, 53x accused persons were convicted by different learned Accountability Courts under section 25(b) of NAO-1999.
During the meeting, it was informed that NAB Sukkur during the year 2021, 14x accused persons have been convicted by learned Accountability Court, Sukkur on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Sukkur under section 10 of NAO-1999. Similarly during the year 2020, 04x accused persons, in the year 2019, 10x accused persons, in the year 2018, 16x accused persons, while in the year 2017 from Oct 10, 2017 till Dec 31, 2017, 26x accused persons were convicted by learned Accountability Court Sukkur under section 10 of NAO-1999. During the meeting, it was further informed that during the year 2021, 43x accused persons from learned Accountability Court, Sukkur on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Sukkur under Section 25(b) of NAO-1999. In the year 2020, 82x accused persons, in the year 2019, 112x accused persons, in the year 2018, 55x accused persons and similarly in the year 2017 from Oct 10 to Dec 31, 2017, 41x accused persons were convicted by learned Accountability Court Sukkur under section 25(b) of NAO-1999.
During the meeting, it was informed that during the year 2021, 6x accused persons were convicted by learned Accountability Court, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under section 10 of NAO-1999. Similarly during the year 2020, 05x accused persons, in the year 2019, 06x accused persons, while in the year 2018, 25x accused persons while in the year 2017 from Oct 10 to Dec 31, 2017 5x accused persons were convicted by different learned Accountability Courts under section 10 of NAO-1999. DG Operations further informed that during 2021, 02x accused persons were convicted by different learned Accountability Courts Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under section 25(b) of NAO-1999, similarly in year 2020, 06x accused persons, in the year 2019, 06x accused persons, while in the year 2018, 08x accused persons while in the year 2017 from Oct 10 to Dec 31, 2017 20x accused persons were convicted by different learned Accountability Courts under section 25(b) of NAO-1999.
During the meeting, it was further informed that during the year 2021, 16x accused persons in by learned Accountability Courts, Balochistan on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Balochistan under section 10 of NAO-1999. Similarly in the year 2020, 03x accused persons, in the year 2019, 04x accused persons, while in the year 2018, 04x accused persons while in the year 2017 from Oct 10 to Dec 31, 2017, 1x accused person was convicted by learned Accountability Courts, Balochistan under section 10 of NAO-1999. It was further informed at the meeting that in the year 2021, 1x accused persons, in the year 2020, 2x accused persons while in the year 2018, 2x accused persons were convicted by learned Accountability Courts, Balochistan under section 25(b) of NAO-1999.
During the meeting, it was further informed that during 2021, 04x accused persons have been convicted by learned Accountability Court, Multan on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Multan under section 10 of NAO-1999. Similarly during the year 2020, 12x accused persons, in the year 2019, 03x accused persons, in the year 2018, 07x accused persons, while in the year 2017 from Oct 10 to Dec 31, 2017, 03x accused persons were convicted by learned Accountability Court, Multan under section 10 of NAO-1999. During the meeting, it was further informed that NAB Multan in the year 2020 got convicted 02x accused persons by learned Accountability Court, Multan on the basis of solid evidence through vigorous prosecution of NAB Multan under Section 25(b) of NAO-1999. Similarly in the year 2019, 01x accused persons, in the year 2018, 10x accused persons, while in the year 2017 from Oct 10 to Dec 31, 2017, 02x accused persons were convicted by learned Accountability Court Multan under section 25(b) of NAO-1999.
Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal has said that NAB is committed to bring corrupt elements especially big fish to justice on the basis of solid documentary evidence as per law. He said that logical conclusion of mega corruption cases is the top most priority of NAB. NAB has adopted a Combined Investigation Team (CIT) policy in order to benefit from the collective wisdom of senior supervisory officers which is lending quality in conduct of inquiries and investigations. He said NAB is the focal institution of Pakistan under the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). NAB is Chairman of SAARC Anti-Corruption Forum as NAB is considered a role model organization in SAARC countries due to its excellent results. The Chairman NAB said that due to vigorous prosecution of NAB, 1405 accused persons were convicted by various learned Accountability Courts of the country from Oct 10, 2017 to Dec 31, 2021 besides recovering Rs 539 billion directly and indirectly from corrupt elements with conviction ratio of 66% which is a record achievement as compared to other organizations which shows a commitment and dedication of NAB officers towards performance of their national responsibilities in eradication of corruption from the country. He said that NAB’s anti corruption strategy has proved very successful which has been lauded by reputed national and international organizations like Transparency International, Pakistan, World Economic Forum, PILDAT and Mishal Pakistan.