- Javed Iqbal says anti-corruption watchdog working in accordance with law
ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Javed Iqbal on Sunday said that the anti-corruption watchdog had nothing to do with the general elections, likely to be held on July 25, and it was working in accordance with law and would continue to perform its duties as per its mandate.
“The allegations of rigging before the elections have been levelled just to tarnish the image and credibility of NAB. Such allegations cannot frustrate our firm resolve and commitment to eradicate corruption, which is voice of the whole nation to make the country corruption free,” he said in a statement issued here.
The chairman said that the NAB had asked all the stakeholders concerned to find out alternate ways and means for winning the next general election as indiscriminate actions (of NAB) had increased its prestige and image manifold due to its visible action against the mighty across the board.
Javed Iqbal said that NAB does not believe in any victimisation and NAB was committed to nab corrupt, proclaimed offenders and absconders with iron hands by using all its resources. The whole nation has pinned hopes on NAB for eradication of corruption from the country, he said.
He said that the NAB would come up to the expectations of the nation to root out corruption at all costs. He said that NAB had been rejuvenated to eradicate corruption and directed all the directors general of the bureau for not sparing any corrupt, dragging them in the dock.
Javed Iqbal directed all ranks of the NAB staff to work hard, transparently and on merit as the bureau was Pakistan’s apex anti-corruption organisation. After assuming its responsibilities, he said that the present management of NAB had not only chalked out an effective anti-corruption strategy but also taken measures against the corrupt which had started yielding excellent results.
He said that NAB’s effective anti-corruption strategy had been acknowledged by both national and reputed international organisations like PILDAT, Transparency International and the World Economic Forum, which was a matter of pride for Pakistan. He said that NAB was fully committed to eradicate corruption and bring the corrupt before the justice with the realisation that eradication of corruption was a national duty.
Due to its effective enforcement policy, the chairman said that the NAB had arrested 350 accused persons during the last seven months and recovered about Rs 2,200 million, which was a record achievement with overall convictions of the 77 per cent.