NAB: The unsung hero
NATIONAL Accountability Bureau (NAB) is an infamous institution especially amongst politicians, civil bureaucracy and a section of business and industrial circles of the country.
Ever since its inception by General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf it has been bitterly criticised for its “so-called” high-handedness and vindictive approach towards the political opponents of ruling parties.
The last two governments of PPP and PML-N did not make any effort to amend the NAB Law in line with changed political scenario rather both of them used NAB to victimise their political opponents and appointed chairmen of their liking to ensure political victimization and cheap political gains.
PTI government has also been accused of using NAB against its political opponents. However, it is perhaps the only government that has offered its political opponents to sit and amend the NAB law so as to make it a real non-political and transparent national institution. However, due to some illogical demands of both PMLN and PPP this effort has not been successful so far.
Although NAB is not famous in political circles, civil bureaucracy and a section of private businessmen but it is a fact that during the last three years of the incumbent government it has performed exceedingly well when it comes of recovery of looted public money.
As per NAB, it has made a colossal recovery of over Rs 300 billion during PTI’s tenure, a claim that has never been challenged or confronted by any of its critics.
NAB role with regard to recovery of ill-gotten money by several housing schemes and societies has been highly admirable but neither NAB nor media including social media has projected this wonderful achievement that has saved thousands of poor and middle income people from going bankrupt.
The most recent of its achievements was the recovery and refund of Rs. 6 billion to 5400 affectees of Fazaia Housing Scheme Karachi where this writer has also been one of the fortunate beneficiaries.
As a matter of fact I did not file any refund claim when NAB invited refund claims initially as like so many other people, I was also not having faith in NAB.
But it was indeed a pleasant surprise, when I received a series of phone calls from NAB Karachi Office to file a claim urgently so that refund process could be initiated.
Honestly speaking I was never sure to receive the refund but all of my fears vanished in happiness when the refund cheque was received a couple of days back. The entire process was smooth and highly transparent.
It was something unimaginable; however NAB under the chairmanship of Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal has made it happening.
Hats off to Justice Sb and his able team who in spite of all the negative propaganda and character assassination campaigns is doing wonderfully well for the benefit of poor and weak segments of the society. Thank you NAB, please keep this great work alive in the days and years to come.
— The writer is Independent Financial Analyst, former Regional Chief of Operations — HBL.
