National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal on Saturday approved 10 inquiries against different persons, including one against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The NAB chairman gave the green signal at the bureau’s Executive Board meeting held at anti-corruption watchdog’s headquarters in Islamabad.

Besides PML-N leader Saad, inquiries were ordered against some officers and other staff members of Pakistan Railways (PR), former DG Anti-corruption Punjab Muzaffar Ali Ranjha, ex-DCO Faisalabad Noorul Amin Mengal, Mansha Group, several officers and members of the staff of Highways Department, Faisalabad, officers and staff members of City District Government Faisalabad, former MNA and former mayor, Faisalabad Chaudhry Sher Ali, ex-DC, Faisalabad Muhammad Amin Chaudhry, officers of Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) Mian Anjum Muhammad Saleem, Muhammad Suleman, Imran Sher Ali and others, officers and members of the staff of Khawaja Farid University, Rahim Yar Khan, officers of Punjab Education Foundation, Vehari, secretary Excise and Taxation, Rahim Yar Khan and some other officers and employees of the same office, administration of United Ethanol Industries, Sadiqabad and some others, officers and other employees of C&W department, officers and staff members of Livestock Department, Multan, MNA Mahar Irshad Ahmad Khan and others.

Deputy Chairman NAB Hussain Asghar, Prosecutor General Accountability NAB Syed Asghar Haider, DG Operations NAB Zahir Shah and other senior officers were in attendance at the Executive Board’s meeting.

Apart from that the Board, in its meeting, decided to send inquiries against former tehsil nazim Muhammad Yasin, former MPA Ghazala Shaheen, Ghulam Murtaza, Azam Sohail and others to FIA and FBR for further action.

Similarly, the Board approved forwarding the inquiries against Medical Superintendent (r) Hafiz Muhammad Tariq Javed at DHQ Bahawalpur and others to Anti-corruption Department Punjab, while it decided to send inquiries against Nazir Ahmad Langah, a retired judge from Multan, and Hafiz Allah Ditta Kashif Advocate High Court to the Lahore High Court’s Registrar for further action.

Likewise, the anti-corruption watchdog ordered the closure of inquiries against MPA Sohail Zafar, former Town Nazim, Gujranwala Rizwan Zafar, MPAs Malik Ghazanfar Abbas Cheema and Muhammad Sher Cheema and some officers and staff members of Revenue Department, Punjab on account of lack of evidence.

Speaking on the occasion, NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal said taking cases of mega corruption to their logical conclusion and working for a corruption free Pakistan was NAB’s topmost priority. “The bureau is consistently following the policy of ‘Accountability for All’,” he said, and added that the anti-corruption watchdog recovered Rs323 billion directly and indirectly from the corrupt elements in 2020, which, he said, was a record achievement.

“Similarly, in all, NAB had recovered Rs814 billion since its inception,” chairman disclosed.

He categorically stated that the department was committed to bringing to justice those involved in hoarding sugar, flour, laundering money, making fake bank accounts, misuse of powers, having assets beyond sources of income and other financial scandals.

Justice(r) Javed Iqbal claimed that not only the organisations from within the country but also from outside the country had appreciated the NAB over its performance, particularly Transparency International Pakistan, World Economic Forum, Global Peace Canada, PILDAT and Misal Pakistan. “This is an honour for us,” he said, added, “NAB and corruption could not go together but NAB and Pakistan could.”

He made it clear that NAB was not working for any political party, group or an individual, but for a corruption free Pakistan.

Similarly, the NAB chairman added, it had been bureau’s longstanding practice that its Executive Board meeting’s details be made public, the purpose of which was not to insult somebody. “NAB is a human-friendly department which believes in giving respect to the suspects as per laws of the land,” he added.

Justice (r) Javed Iqbal further said that anti-corruption watchdog’s all inquiries and investigations were not conclusive until allegations contained in them were proven.

Reporter Usman Khan