The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) refrained from disclosing the assets of its officers despite the directions of the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Noor Alam Khan.
The Committee Chairman in the prior meeting had directed the NAB officials to provide details of the asset declaration and the Chairman of NAB to brief the committee at the next meeting.
The letter addressed to the PAC questioned the powers of the committee, to which Noor Alam criticized the NAB for not knowing the law. He said the Committee receives a lot of letters questioning its powers, but to clear things up, according to the law, the PAC can ask for the details of any matter, including asset declarations.
Chairman PAC said NAB was apprised of the powers of all parliamentary committees, including the PAC.
Further, Chairman NAB Zahir Shah briefed the committee on the matter of a private housing society’s Rs. 16 billion plea bargain with NAB.
Zahir said NAB received 11,800 complaints and claims worth Rs. 13 billion. The accused, Dr. Amjad had gone abroad and when he returned home, he died, he added. A plea bargain was reached because Amjad’s wife submitted an application to the High Court.
The value of the property of the accused is Rs. 25 billion, and a plea bargain of Rs. 13 billion was done, said Chairman NAB. The NAB board gave the nod to the plea bargain and the money will be recovered in installments of three years, said Noor Alam.
