ISLAMABAD Oct 21 (TNS): National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal expressed concerns over incomplete inquiry regarding corruption cases despite the passage of 17 years.
He appeared furious at the sub-ordinates for not completing the inquiry for more than a decade. Justice (retd) Iqbal promised to wipe out all the corrupt and ineligible officers of NAB.
Talking to an important meeting with senior NAB officials, he said that there will be no place for those officers in the anti-graft institution who are reluctant to show negligence. He has also announced to conduct external and internal audit of NAB.
NAB Chairman warned all ineligible officers to correct themselves and gave an ultimatum for the last time. “No NAB officer above law including me,” he added.
Justice (retd) Iqbal said the culture of nepotism and taking decisions out of external pressure will not be tolerable from onwards. The budget of NAB will be spent according to law and audits will be made regular, he urged.
Last week, he had stated that that the corruption does not go away by merely sitting in fine buildings made of glass, adding that corruption will not go away until NAB officials adopt a zero tolerance policy against it. He had assumed office on October 11 after ex-NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry completed his four-year tenure.
He directed the Bureau officials to complete inquiries and investigations by following rules and regulations and with use of scientific techniques.
The chairman said NAB was established to end corruption and recover looted money from the corrupt people and bring it into the national exchequer.
The officers working in NAB did not belong to any party or person but belong to NAB and the state, he added.
He said NAB should work on the basis of transparency, gather the evidences and complete inquiries and investigations so that corrupt elements could be sentenced by respective Accountability Courts, High Courts and Supreme Court of Pakistan on basis of solid proofs.
The proper prosecution of cases would increase reputation of NAB, he added.
He said his top priority was the policy of zero tolerance and self-accountability for ending corruption.
He said he himself would monitor the cases of promotion of officers. He would also look into the cases of deputation in NAB to ensure that everybody was in NAB on deputation on the basis of his education and experience.
He said NAB was not established for taking political revenge and for promoting wishes of anybody. It would be ensured that NAB officials worked as a team and with a new passion, energy and commitment.
The NAB chairman said a time of ten months was fixed for filing of a reference and the time line for cases would be strictly observed.
Justice Javed Iqbal Chairman NAB said every effort would be made to arrest proclaimed offenders and wanted persons.
He said he would personally supervise the filing of references in the accountability courts so that demands of justice were met.
