NAB set to file reference against PIA ex-chief, Majeed Ghani

ISLAMABAD – The Executive Board Meeting (EBM) of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has given approval to file a corruption reference against former Chairman PIA Ijaz Haroon, Abdul Majeed Ghani and others. Chairman NAB Justice (R) Javed Iqbal chaired the EBM here yesterday.

The meeting authorized filing of a corruption reference against Ejaz Haroon, former Chairman PIA, Abdul Ghani Majeed and others on their involvement in illegal allotment of plots in Overseas Cooperative Housing Society Limited (Kidney Hills) Karachi and payment of those plots through fake bank accounts which inflicted heavy losses to national exchequer.

The EBM also authorized conducting of inquiry against the officials of Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation. The EBM accorded approval of referring the complaint regarding negligence in performance of official duty by officers of Customs Department deployed at Sost Dry Port to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for further proceedings as per law.

The Bureau said, it is the policy of NAB to share details of the NAB EBM meeting with the people. Indeed this does not aim at hurting the feelings of any person. NAB is a people-friendly institution, which always believes in protecting the dignity and respect of every person as per law. The inquiries and investigations are initiated on the basis of alleged allegations which are not final as the go-ahead signal is only given in a case – after obtaining point of view of both sides of the picture as per law.

The EBM said that NAB always believes in respecting the sanctity and respect of parliament and parliamentarians. The business community plays an important role in the progress and prosperity of the country.

NAB strongly denied the impression that the business community is perturbed due to the NAB’s actions.

It further said that NAB always believes in performing its duties in accordance with law. The business community and all other segments of Pakistani communities also desire the transformation of the country into a prosperous, corruption free and developed country.

It also said that NAB has outrightly rejected the impression of some elements about death of an accused person in its custody, adding that such baseless and misleading allegations cannot stop NAB from performing its legal and constitutional obligations to eradicate corruption from country.

It said NAB has decided to initiate probe against the baseless, misleading, concocted and fabricated propaganda against the national watchdog in order to tarnish its image and repute as an institution  under clause 31 (a) of NAB Ordinance.

At the end, the Chairman NAB has said that NAB’s faith is to ensure corruption free Pakistan as eradication of corruption from the country is the topmost priority of the bureau. He said since inception, the NAB has recovered Rs. 714 billion from corrupt elements directly and indirectly and deposited the looted amount into national exchequer.

He said that the NAB performance has been appreciated by reputed national and international institutions, which is an honour for the NAB.

He directed to utilise all available resources for concluding complaint verifications, inquiries and investigations in the light of relevant laws. He directed prosecutors and investigation officers to pursue the corruption cases in accountability courts after complete preparation so that the looted amount could be deposited in the national kitty.