NAB striving to ensure implementation on rule of law: NAB Chairman

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal said on Wednesday the Bureau was striving hard to ensure complete implementation on the rule of law.

He said that it was top priority of NAB to ensure compensation for looted hard earned money of affectees.

He expressed these views after distributing cheques of Rs 760 million among 3,000 affectees of Model Housing Enclave and Ferozpur Housing Society here.

The Chairman said that it was first time in the history that the NAB had distributed a huge amount of Rs 2.5 billion recovered from the accused through plea bargain within two years, among the affectees.

He said that some elements tried to do a propaganda against the NAB but despite that the Bureau would continue to work purely on merit, adding that criticism for the sake of criticism was not justified as there should always be constructive criticism.

He said the NAB has to face accountability process as well as it soon after arresting an accused, produced him before the court where on the basis of evidences, the remand was granted, adding that in white collar crimes, the court did not issue 90-day remand simultaneously but the remand was granted after satisfactory evidences were presented in the court.

Appreciating the performance of NAB Lahore, Javed Iqbal said that distribution of millions of rupees, recovered from the accused in a short span of two years among affectees was laudable.

He said the joy and happiness at the faces of affectees had proved that NAB officials were serving the nation by utilizing their energies for returning hard earned money to the affectees, adding that an amount of Rs 1.32 billion was also returned to the affectees of other housing society during two years.

Regarding the complaints of business community, the Chairman NAB said that no businessman in the country had to face problems due to NAB, adding the stock exchange could not show a positive trend, if the NAB was creating problems for business community.

He said that the difference between NAB's custody and judicial custody should be understood as it was also propagated about an alleged death in NAB's custody.

The NAB had put in place special measures to eliminate corruption without any discrimination and such steps would remain continue, he maintained.

Earlier, during his visit to NAB Lahore, the combined investigation teams led by DG NAB Lahore briefed him pertaining to mega corruption cases.