Punjab govt departments not cooperating: NAB chief

LAHORE - The Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal said that some institutions in Punjab are not cooperating with the anti-graft body.

Speaking at a ceremony in Lahore on Thursday, the chairman said this attitude is inappropriate and will not be tolerated any longer.

Moreover, Iqbal said they shall make all-out efforts to reject bail of influential culprits who pressurise witnesses and to protect witnesses.

He added that those who give directives on someone’s orders will eventually have to bear the brunt of their wrongdoings.

About the anti-graft body, Iqbal said NAB is not biased towards anyone. Even NAB officials will be tried if the complaint is received against them, he added.

Regarding bureaucracy, the NAB chief said it is the backbone of a country. “[But] will not tolerate lack of cooperation on part of the bureaucracy.”

The NAB chief also spoke about scams pertaining to private housing schemes, saying their owners should know they would be tried.

“Those getting conned by private housing scheme [owners] include pensioners and poor people,” Iqbal said.

He added that owners of such housing schemes show people pleasant dreams of getting a roof but the reality of such projects is “horrible”.

The NAB chief said private housing scheme owners make projects but seldom read the rules, one of which also requires them to keep interest rate low.

The statement from the NAB chairman comes at a time when top PML-N leadership is facing corruption charges in accountability courts.

Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Captain (retd) Safdar and Ishaq Dar are facing corruption trial in Panama case.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif too was summoned by the NAB last month to answer for misappropriation in Ashiana Housing Scheme, which angered the younger Sharif.