Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) retired Justice Javed Iqbal on Tuesday vowed to satisfy the members of National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on NAB’s claim of recoveries of Rs. 821 billion and said that he will go home otherwise.

The anti-graft watchdog head appeared before the PAC to answer the questions of the parliamentary panel.

Presiding over the meeting, PAC chairman Rana Tanveer Hussain said that the committee sought details of NAB’s claim of recoveries of Rs. 821 billion but all it received in response was a two-lined reply.

Tanveer said that the NAB Chairman is respectable for the committee but he took too long to appear before the committee. He further said that Chairman NAB only highlights the performance of the anti-graft watchdog on media and added that he should also take the parliament and this committee into confidence.

Chairman NAB said that supremacy of the parliament cannot be denied but he was unable to appear before the committee due to some legitimate reasons.

On questions by the committee members regarding investigation of the corruption cases, retired justice Javed Iqbal requested to convene a special meeting of the committee. The request was approved by the committee chairman and the special meeting in this regard will be held on January 06.

Chairman NAB further vowed to satisfy the committee members on every issue and said that he will go home if he cannot satisfy the committee members.

The NAB Chairman told the committee that the bureau has distributed billions of rupees among 30,000 affected people. He added that in many corruption cases, the proceeds go to the relevant agencies or provincial governments.

He said that billions of rupees were taken from housing societies and distributed among the affected people. He further informed the committee that 1270 references of Rs. 1386 billion are currently pending before the bureau.

Chairman PAC praised NAB’s performance in recoveries made in cases related to housing societies. He also praised the bureau for returning the recovered money to the affectless of these cases.

While talking to reporters after the meeting, Chairman NAB also rubbished claims of “selective accountability” and said that comments of those who are facing corruption cases hold no value.

Source: Pro Pakistani