–Non-compliance, which will be a violation of TCS Rules 2002, can lead to sacking of anti-graft watchdog’s employee
ISLAMABAD: Taking notice of reports regarding the meeting of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officers with political players, NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal has restricted all employees of the bureau from seeing any politician, Pakistan Today learnt Friday.
According to sources, the NAB chief has directed the officers to distance themselves from all political personalities in line with the anti-graft watchdog’s code of conduct.
“The NAB chairman has taken serious notice regarding meeting of NAB employees with political persons, which is against the norms of service and code of conduct as enumerated under Section 10.20 of NAB Employees ICS-2002,” said a notification issued in this regard on November 13.
It further said that any federal or provincial political person, who approached any regional director general or officers of the bureau, would have to seek the permission of the NAB chief; failing which, a strict disciplinary action under the rules would be initiated against the employee of the bureau.
The notification has been forwarded to all bureaus, wings, divisions of the NAB, sources said and added that meeting a political player without prior permission of the NAB chief was a violation of TCS Rules 2002.
“It can lead to losing one’s job.”
It merits a mention here that NAB officials had reportedly met with politicians in the guise of corruption cases which made news for media while several high profile cases of politicians are lying pending with the bureau for a long time.
At least 179 mega corruption cases were lodged against top politicians, industrialists, traders, senior bureaucrats and prominent politicians, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ex-Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif, ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, ex-federal minister Dr Asim Hussain, former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Amir Haider Khan Hoti, former Balochistan CM Aslam Raisani, former communications minister Arbab Jahangir and his wife Begum Asma Arbab, MPA Sardar Asif Nakai, MNA Syed Iftikhar Shah, former minister Murid Kazim, former chairpersons of NICL Ayaz Khan and Javed Akram and former chairman of ETPB Asif Hashim.
Reportedly, among the 179 cases, 22 are related to financial corruption and 27 to housing societies whereas 71 pertain to corruption and misuse of authority.
NAB has also recently decided to hold fresh inquiries against some politicians, including former federal minister Akram Khan Durrani and former Sindh minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro.
Approval to investigate Senator Rubina Khalid and file references against former federal minister Arbab Alamgir Khan and former adviser to prime minister, Asma Alamgir Khan, has also been given.
