MULTAN,Dec (APP):Deputy Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Hussain Asghar on Monday expressed the optimism that NAB would gain multiple successes against corruption in the upcoming six to eight months.
Addressing a prize distribution ceremony, he said that huge recoveries would be made from corrupt mafias in the upcoming six to eight months. The NAB would take swift action against corrupt elements, he added.
Hussain also termed the recent recovery of Rs 38 billion with the help of National Crime Agency (NCA) as a landmark achievement. He said that Pakistan inked agreements with some other countries and Pakistan would recover huge amounts in near future.
The recent recovery of Rs 38 billion was one of the biggest recovery even in the England’s history, he maintained. Hussain Asghar said that corruption had deep roots in the society, adding it can be traced even in British era. He said the recruitments during the British era were not made on merit and even police or revenue officers were recruited through illegal means.
He stated that the corruption from our society could not be eradicated overnight. He, however, added that steps were in progress to abolish the menace as early as possibly. The government introduced whistle-blower law and similarly some other laws to plug chances of corruption, he added.
During last one year, the NAB was very active and it rooted out corruption at upper level. When corruption was abolished at upper level then message automatically reached at lower level, he said and added that corruption at revenue offices or police station level would surely end in coming few years.
The NAB Deputy Chairman also informed that many international institutions and countries were lauding Pakistan’s performance against corruption, adding that Pakistan’s index against corruption improved remarkably.
He also hinted that Chinese Minister for Anti Corruption had also lauded Pakistan and presented offer for cooperation. He added that some friendly countries sought assistance from Pakistan for capacity building of their officers in anti-corruption institutions.
He informed that he would attend a meeting in Abu-Dhabi in next week. He said that investigation in corruption crimes was different from crimes of murder and some other crimes. It was very easy to investigate murder crimes but it was equally difficult to investigate corruption cases because the corrupt elements did not leave any proof, stated NAB Deputy Chairman.
He remarked that NAB officers had to work for years to gather evidences of corruption in different cases. Investigation of corruption cases was highly complicated, and sometimes the NAB have to close cases for certain time. Whenever, it gets proof then it bring corrupt elements to courts, Hussain Asghar maintained.
He informed that NAB put many influentials behind the bar. The cases against these influentials were registered 20 to 25 years ago. The NAB continued to work in these cases and eventually it managed to collect evidences against them, he claimed and said that Pakistan would be complete corruption free in near future.
He also informed that there were some areas in Pakistan, which were corruption free and he quoted example of Gilgit Baltistan. The NAB Deputy Chairman also distributed prizes among students of various institutes of South Punjab who grabbed positions in declamation contests. NAB Director General Attiqur Rehman, NAB Director Abdul Hafeez Khan were also present.
