NAB decides to suspend routine meetings, open Ketcheries

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday decided to suspend its routine meetings open Ketcheries till further orders.

According to NAB spokesman, a meeting chaired by Chairman NAB Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal held to review implementation status of strategy devised earlier to prevent COVID-19 spread at its offices, decided to observe working hours of NAB offices from 9am to 3pm and directed relevant DGs to reduce their staff by fifty percent in their respective offices and staff of over fifty years of age enduring different diseases will only be required in office in only urgent basis.

Women staff members were allowed to work from their homes till further orders.

Relevant DGs and Directors will call their staff in only urgent nature of work.

The meeting decided to close official transport of NAB besides exempting the staff from biometric attendance till further orders.

The forum decided to encourage frequent hand washing, use of sanitizer, gloves and masks in its offices.

The participants of the meeting maintained six feet social distance among themselves.

The meeting was told that the entry of visitors had already been banned at NAB Headquarters and all Regional offices on the direction of Chairman NAB.

The meeting decided to ensure the attendance of NAB prosecutors in different NAB cases in Accountability Courts, High Courts and Supreme Court of Pakistan during lock down in various cities by adopting strict precautionary measures,so that no case of NAB could be dismissed due to non prosecution or non appearance of NAB prosecutors.

Special checking of staff and others will be ensured at entry gate through thermal guns and attendance of officers/officials will be reduced by fifty percent on rotation basis.

In lockdown areas, relevant DGs and concerned Directors will remain present at their respective stations. The screening of accused in NAB custody will be ensured from qualified doctors besides providing those best medical facilities and masks, gloves, sanitizers and other necessary equipments to protect them from COVID-19.

The meeting expressed its firm resolve that through strict adoption of precautionary measures can only protect from COVID-19.

The officers/officials should inform their relevant DGs if symptoms of corona virus appear so that immediate remedial measures should be taken on time. Use of intercom should be enhanced in NAB offices in order to avoid frequent meetings besides maintaining social distancing, frequent hand washing, use of sanitizers, gloves and masks.

NAB officers/officials should not go to public places without any logical reason and maintain close contact with their DGs by telephone in order to dispose of official business without fail.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Chairman NAB, Prosecutor General Accountability, Director General, Operations, DG NAB Headquarters, DG Human Resource Development, DG Training and Research, DG Awareness and Prevention and other senior officers of NAB while Director Generals of all Regional Bureaus attended the meeting via video link.