The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has launched an Accountability Facilitation Cell (AFC) to investigate politicians corruption cases involving alleged corruption among provincial lawmakers. This initiative, which has been approved by the Punjab Assembly speaker, is designed to enhance the accountability of members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) involved in corruption cases. The AFC will play a central role in processing complaints, ensuring transparency and efficiency in handling politicians corruption cases.
Under the new process, any complaint filed against an MPA will first undergo scrutiny by the AFC, which is managed by a senior BPS-20 officer. After this preliminary review, the AFC will send the complaint back to NAB through the Punjab Assembly speaker for further investigation. If NAB officials require more detailed investigations, they will coordinate directly with the Punjab Assembly to conduct inquiries, ensuring that progress on any complaints related to politicians corruption cases is properly managed.
In a briefing held with PA Deputy Speaker Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar, NAB Deputy Chairman Sohail Nasir emphasized the importance of confidentiality. He stated that both the identities of complainants and accused MPAs will be kept confidential during the initial stages of the inquiry. Sohail Nasir stressed that NAB’s core mission is to uphold transparency and accountability across various sectors, particularly in addressing corruption within lawmakers. This reinforces NAB’s commitment to targeting politicians corruption cases while maintaining respect and dignity for all involved parties.
The AFC will ensure that no action is taken on anonymous or pseudonymous complaints. Sohail Nasir highlighted that NAB will not act on any complaint against an MPA unless it has been verified and reviewed thoroughly. The purpose of the AFC is to build a strong relationship between NAB and the Punjab Assembly, ensuring that any action taken on politicians corruption cases is done transparently and fairly.
In addition, NAB has clarified its stance on complaints against bureaucrats. It has been decided that no inquiry will be launched against civil servants based on anonymous complaints, and any investigation will only proceed with the involvement of the chief secretary. NAB will also ensure that investigations against bureaucrats remain confidential and are not subjected to media trials. Furthermore, any corruption case older than 10 years will not be reopened unless deemed absolutely necessary.
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NAB Chairman retd Lt Gen Nazir Ahmed has also reassured the business community that NAB will not interfere with legitimate business activities. He emphasized that NAB is not out to harass businesses and encouraged business leaders to focus on wealth creation without fear, highlighting that the bureau’s primary focus is on accountability and politicians corruption cases rather than hindering economic development. This move demonstrates NAB’s commitment to fostering transparency, fairness, and trust between institutions while aggressively pursuing politicians corruption cases.
