The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Pakistan is facing a shortage of personnel as it seeks to reopen cases. The bureau is looking for officers from investigating agencies and other government departments to fill the gaps in its ranks. Over the past eight to ten months, more than 30 NAB officers have been sent on deputation to other departments.
Following the resignations of its deputy chairman and prosecutor general, the NAB was already short of top officials when the Supreme Court issued its verdict. Now, faced with a mammoth task, the accountability watchdog needs personnel in the areas of forensic audit, investigation, and experts in tax matters.
The NAB’s Intelligence and Vigilance Cell (IVC) previously had officers from other agencies serving at NAB, but they were returned to their parent departments after the powers of the IVC were clipped under legislation enacted by the previous government. However, with the recovery of its lost powers under a recent apex court order, the bureau is looking to crack down on bigwigs involved in white-collar crimes.
The loss of manpower was the result of a policy decision made by NAB chairman, retired Lt Gen Nazir Ahmed Butt. He believed that the limited exposure of NAB officers to other government departments and agencies hindered their growth, and proposed a quota system to allow officers to gain experience and exposure through deputation to other entities.
While the idea was initially seen as a way to build the capacity of the institution, the recent Supreme Court decision striking down the legislation has necessitated the return of the officers to NAB. The bureau has already sent about 1,800 references of top politicians and bureaucrats to relevant accountability courts, reopening cases that were previously closed.
NAB is committed to its mission of eliminating corruption in Pakistan and is seeking reinforcements to strengthen its efforts. With additional personnel from different government departments and agencies, the bureau aims to ensure a more comprehensive and effective approach to combating corruption and bringing corrupt individuals to justice.