News Analysis |
The chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) has said that the judiciary will not allow corrupt people to loot the money of the public. CJP was speaking to media in Britain when he urged the nation to remain calm and assured that the judiciary will work out to make Pakistan corruption free.
The top judge further observed that there is a need to improve the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws. It is worth mentioning here that the NAB is working independently these days and seems to be determined to probe into mega corruption and expose the bigwigs.
Political parties like Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are not happy over the role of NAB and allege the watchdog for being a tool in the hands of the present government to target the opposition.
With regard to Pakistanis having offshore properties, the top judge said, “A team has been formed under the chairmanship of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor to bring back looted money to the country.” He also hinted that they have received reliable information from the protocols signed with Britain. “Through the protocol signed with Britain, we have received important information regarding properties owned by Pakistani,” the top judge remarked.
CJP further said that there were people who still feel reluctant to share the details of their property before the court. “Pakistanis who own properties in Britain were not sharing details. Out of 15 Pakistanis who own properties in Britain, only seven appeared before the court and further investigations in this regard are underway,” he said.
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As a matter of fact, NAB and judiciary are being criticized for not initiating the process of accountability across the board. Political parties like Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are not happy over the role of NAB and allege the watchdog for being a tool in the hands of the present government to target the opposition.
The matter started when the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the NAB, to conclude all investigations into these mega cases by Dec 31, 2015, on July 7, 2015. The court also expressed displeasure over the cases pending for over a decade with no real progress. Later on, the NAB had sought an extension of three months. The SC, however, instructed to present a final report to the court by the termination of the requested extension on March 31, 2016.
Interestingly, among the 179 cases of mega corruption, 22 are related to financial corruption, 27 to housing societies and 71 pertained to corruption and misuse of authority by high-ranking public officials.
As the new Chairman assumed the office, the prosecution division of the bureau was immediately ordered to finalize all 179 mega corruption investigations as soon as possible. It was revealed during a performance review meeting of NAB chaired by Justice Iqbal that investigations into 101 cases had been concluded, and references had been filed in the respective accountability courts, where the corruption cases would be adjudicated in accordance with the law.
Moreover, currently, the NAB is working on 19 inquiries and 23 investigations, while 36 cases have already been disposed of.
The 179 mega corruption cases were lodged against the industrialists, traders, senior bureaucrats and prominent politicians, including the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif (case under investigation), Punjab Chief Minster Shahbaz Sharif (case under investigation), ex-president Asif Ali Zardari (case under trial), former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf (cases under trial), former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain (a case under trial and two others under investigation), former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (case under investigation), ex-CM Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi (case under investigation), former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amir Haider Khan Hoti (case under investigation), former chief minister of Balochistan Aslam Raisani, (inquiry under progress) former communication minister Arbab Jahangir and his wife Begum Asma Arbab (case under investigation), MPA Asif Nakai (case under investigation), MNA Syed Iftikhar Shah (case under investigation), former minister Murid Kazim (case under investigation), former chairmen of NICL Ayaz Khan and Javed Akram (case under trail) and former chairman of Evacuee Trust Property Asif Hashim (case under inquiry).
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Interestingly, among the 179 cases of mega corruption, 22 are related to financial corruption, 27 to housing societies and 71 pertained to corruption and misuse of authority by high-ranking public officials.
The PML-N is not happy with what the NAB is doing at the moment. The NAB’s inquiry and arrest of a senior bureaucrat Ahed Cheema from Punjab and arrest of former CM Punjab’s Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif not only displeased the party but it also triggered an anti-NAB stance by the senior leaders of PML-N like Rana Sana Ullah. But the NAB chairman is determined to deal with all mega corruption cases as soon as possible without being feared or pressurized.