National News

ISLAMABAD, (APP): Chairman, National Accountability
Bureau (NAB), Qamar Zaman Chaudhry on Tuesday said implementation
of enforcement measures and prosecution matters in Bureau were being
monitored through daily, weekly and monthly reports and inspections.
The Bureau has also devised a comprehensive Quantified Grading
System to review annual performance of its Regional Offices and
further improve performance of officers/officials, he said this
while chairing a meeting on Mid Term Review of NAB Regional Bureaus
and NAB HQ.
Senior Member, Chairman’s Inspection and Monitoring Team
(CI&MT) conducted the Review during 2016 and gave briefing on
strengths and weaknesses of Regional Bureaus.
The Chairman said under the grading system, NAB Regional
Bureau’s performance (Operational Efficiency Index OEI) was being
evaluated under a criteria and added NAB had chalked out an
effective and comprehensive National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS)
for eradication of corruption and corrupt practices which has
started yielding dividends.
The Chairman NAB said NAB has already been devised Standard
Operating Procedure (SOP) to rationalize workload and timelines have
been prescribed for efficient, effective and expeditious disposal of
cases putting a maximum limit of 10 months- from complaint
verification-to-inquiry-to-investigation and finally to a reference
in the Accountability Court.
He said in order to ensure uniformity and standardization, the
Standard Operating Procedures for investigation officers (IOs)
in vogue were reviewed and revised after a gap of 10 years in order
to benefit from experience and collective wisdom of senior
supervisory officers.
He said NAB has prosecuted corrupts and has recovered Rs. 277
billion since its inception and deposited in national exchequer
which is a record achievement. It is in this context that PILDAT in
its report has rated NAB’s performance at 42% based on public
survey. This compares quite favorably to 29% public confidence in
Police and 26% in Government officers working. The rate of success
of NAB’s prosecution work in all courts is approximately 75%.
The recent report of Transparency International also rated Pakistan
in Corruption Perception Index (CPI) from 126 to 117.
He said that NAB has established its first Forensic Science Lab
(FSL) in Islamabad which has facilities of Digital Forensics,
Questioned Documents and Fingerprint Analysis.
The Chairman said NAB has reiterated his resolve to continue
the policy of zero tolerance against corruption within the NAB. At
the same time, he encouraged the officers to perform their duties on
merit. Through a combination of above measures and procedures NAB is
geared up to augment its drive against corruption with renewed zeal
and energy.
Qamar Zaman Ch. said NAB has taken a lead in establishing a
path way for effectively combating corruption in the system. Under
Awareness and prevention regime, NAB has established more than
22,000 Character Building Societies (CBS) in Universities and
Colleges all over the country for sensitizing youth, the future
leaders of our country against corruption. In order to implement the
anti-corruption drive, NAB, under its country-wide awareness
campaign is making significant efforts to reach out to masses
through print and electronic media by holding various activities
under awareness campaign on “Say No to Corruption.”