A special ceremony was held at the NAB Headquarters in Islamabad to observe International Anti-Corruption Day, chaired by NAB Chairman, Lieutenant General (Retd) Nazir Ahmad. The event was attended by NAB’s Deputy Chairman Sohail Nasir, the UNODC representative in Pakistan, and senior NAB officials.
Addressing the occasion, NAB Chairman emphasized that corruption, in any form, is the main obstacle to sustainable development and economic prosperity. He stated that NAB is not only committed to combating corruption but has also been exemplary in protecting national resources, recovering and returning looted public money. In just one year, NAB has set a record by recovering 3.8 trillion Pakistani rupees (13.57 billion US dollars). Additionally, NAB has resolved 22,000 complaints, and as a result of reforms, the number of false complaints has decreased significantly—from 4,000 per month to just 400. Over 18,000 affected individuals have been reimbursed their looted money.
The Chairman highlighted that 65% of the country’s population is under the age of 30, and these young people represent the future of the nation. A comprehensive plan has been developed to involve them in the anti-corruption process. An awareness program will be launched with the collaboration of educational and research institutions, as well as stakeholders. He also mentioned the introduction ofa Visitors Feedback System at NAB, which helps not only to curb corruption but also in improving the organization’s overall performanceNAB Chairman further stated that NAB is working in collaboration with NEPRA (National
Electric Power Regulatory Authority) to address issues in the power sector, with anticipated positive outcomes. He urged NAB officers to work with full dedication and enthusiasm to provide relief to those affected in the real estate sector.
The Chairman also announced that NAB has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 10 countries to expedite the resolution of corruption cases. He emphasized the need for the UNODC’s assistance in matters related to investment for second residency, and immigration.He urged the activation of Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) to ensure timely sharing of information related to corruption cases.
Referring to the institution’s performance, the Chairman stated that NAB has directly and indirectly recovered 6.1 trillion rupees since its establishment, despite having been allocated only a budget of 56 billion rupees. Based on the annual performance report, NAB Karachi ranked first with 2.4 trillion rupees in recoveries, followed by the Sukkur Region with 1.1 trillion rupees, and NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in third place with 194.9 billion rupees in direct and indirect collections. Chairman NAB has recommended the name of best NAB officers of Civil Award to the Government.
In his speech, Troels Vester, the UNODC representative in Pakistan, said that young people will play a significant role in the anti-corruption movement. He mentioned that there are approximately 1.2 billion young people globally, and their active participation will greatly help in tackling corruption. He further noted that corruption is affecting all areas of life, and all efforts in Pakistan to fight corruption will be fully supported.
At the seminar, outstanding NAB officials were awarded for their excellent performance. Among the award recipients were Raheel Ameer, Mirza Aleem Baig from NAB Karachi, Rafiq Jan from NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khitab Gul from NAB Sukkur; Rashid Badr from NAB Lahore, Mohsin Haroon, Mian Omar Nadeem, and Umair Ahmed from NAB Rawalpindi.