Pakistan, China jointly keep an eye over CPEC projects for transparency: NAB chief

ISLAMABAD, October 20 (Gwadar Pro) – Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s chief Justice Javed Iqbal (retd) said on Tuesday afternoon that Pakistan and China were jointly keeping an eye over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects to ensure complete transparency.

Chairing a meeting here to review the performance of NAB, Iqbal informed that NAB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China to oversee CPEC projects being conducted in Pakistan.

“NAB has introduced a new concept of Combined Investigation Team in order to benefit from the experience and collective wisdom of senior supervisory officers to further improve the standard and quality of inquiries and investigations on the basis of solid evidence as well as statements of witnesses and documentary evidence,” he elaborated.

State-of-the-art forensic laboratories with facilities of digital forensics, questioned documents and fingerprint analysis have also been established, he added.

Iqbal remarked that NAB had also signed an MoU with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in order to create aware among the youth of the ill effects of corruption in universities and colleges at an early age.

He indicated that as per Gallup Pakistan survey, 59 per cent of people have shown trust in NAB. “Moreover, reputed national and international organisations like the Transparency International (TI) Pakistan, World Economic Forum, Global Peace Canada, PILDAT and Mishal Pakistan have appreciated NAB’s efforts in eradication of corruption,” he claimed.

Iqbal mentioned that NAB had recovered around Pakistani Rs 539 billion from corrupt elements in four years - a record achievement.

Citing a four-year report on the performance of the Bureau, the NAB Chairman stressed that NAB was pursuing the policy of “accountability for all” and “self-accountability” which was announced as soon as he took charge in 2017. “One hundred and eighty-five (185) officers have been probed under the 'self-accountability' policy,” he explained.

The Chairman highlighted that NAB was considered a role model among regional countries “NAB is the focal department of Pakistan under United Nations Convention against Corruption,” he observed.