NAB Plans to Strengthen Anti-Corruption Framework
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has announced its intent to approach Parliament with a proposal to reduce the existing Rs500 million threshold required to initiate action in corruption cases. The move aims to tighten Pakistan’s accountability laws and prevent individuals from exploiting loopholes that allow corrupt practices below the current limit.
Addressing a press conference, NAB Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmad Butt said the high threshold has inadvertently enabled many individuals to carry out corrupt activities strategically just under the defined limit, thereby evading prosecution. He emphasized that lowering the threshold would empower NAB to pursue cases more effectively across all levels of governance.
Revisiting the 2022 Amendments
The Rs500 million threshold was introduced in 2022 after the PML-N-led coalition government amended the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999, following the ousting of the PTI government. Under the revised law, NAB’s jurisdiction was restricted to investigating corruption cases involving sums exceeding Rs500 million. Critics have long argued that this limit shields mid-level offenders and reduces accountability.
The chairman stated that a revision of this law is essential to restore the bureau’s effectiveness in curbing corruption that undermines the country’s financial and institutional integrity.
NAB’s Performance and Recoveries
In his first detailed media briefing since assuming office in March 2023, Lt Gen (retd) Butt shared NAB’s performance record. Since its inception in 1999, NAB has reportedly recovered a total of $3.15 billion, while under his leadership alone, the bureau recovered $29.99 billion.
He revealed that cash recoveries stood at Rs1,124 billion (approximately $4 billion), with the remainder in recovered assets. Over the past 26 years, NAB’s cumulative recoveries have reached Rs9 trillion, compared to a total government allocation of Rs62 billion for the bureau — a figure he said demonstrates NAB’s unmatched global performance among anti-corruption agencies.
Challenges in Tracing Offshore Wealth
Chairman Butt expressed concern over the growing challenge of money laundering and the difficulty in tracking Pakistan’s stolen wealth abroad. He lamented that many corrupt individuals invest in countries like the US, UK, and Canada, where their assets often go unchallenged.
He also pointed out the limited tax contribution from Pakistanis abroad, despite having 165,000 students studying internationally. Obtaining financial data from foreign authorities, he added, can take up to seven years, often delayed under the pretext of protecting politically exposed individuals.
