The National Accountability Bureau has been active work since 1999. Highly publicized cases of commercial and public officials involved in corruption have been handled by the dept.
Although a lot of improvement is necessary, most problems occur due to the tremendous political pressures and road blocks, that the NAB Officers face.
The following web-site gives a good account of the popular NAB busts of governments officials:
http://www.nab.gov.pk/index.asp :
Try Case studies on the web-site.
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
Khirox,
"Although a lot of improvement is necessary, most problems occur due to the tremendous political pressures and road blocks, that the NAB Officers face."
There you go. That is the failure of this organization. Pakistan have been pushed to bottom by Transperency International. it means corruption had increased since inception of NAB. There is absolutely on justification of this organization as it picked selective cases. Money spent on this organization is absolutely waste and it should have been directed towards some other social programs. I am sure if benefit/cost ration analysis is done, costs incurred would be more than the benefits in terms of money and ethical reasons.
FARID
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
NAB has been there since 1997, and not 1999! I remember back in 1997, the chief NAB commisioner needed a very high speed laptop (prolly for watching totayz)... lol
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
Actually that was the chief ehtesaab comissioner, not sure if thats the same thing as NAB...
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
:D
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
That was the ehtesab bureau , at the time in '97 it was headed by a retired judge. I forget his name..
Anyway i posted about this on another thread
It’s interesting, I know of four people who were under investigation by NAB in the early days of Musharraf.
2 out of the four were politicians. One PML-N one PPP
1 was a bureaucrat and one a person from the legal profession.
All four had terrible reputations and were universally quite proud of how much money they had made by acts of ommission and commission.
By around early 2001 all four had been convicted of corruption.
Sounds good?
Well not quite, do you know what they are all up to now?
One of the politicians was acquitted on appeal (because the government withdrew the charges) and is now a high flier in the PML Q, the second politician is out on bail involved in raking in the money as his brother contested the election in his place (on a PML-Q ticket) and is also a high flier in the PML-Q.
The bureaucrat was released after 6 months and is now living the good life in England, investing on occassion in real estate in Pakistan. While the man from the legal profession contested and narrowly lost the elections to the senate. He holds a senior post in guess which party? yup the PML-Q.
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
Again this is a proof of failure of this organization. Billions spent on salaries, legal battles and other expenses have gone all waste. Audit should be done and it should be closed ASAP. People who have earned mamoth illegal money got free, only encouraged others to increase corruption manifold, pushing Pakistan to be more corrupt country.
FARID
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
I think this about the time to shut down this organization by the new government. Instead, the original institutions for anti corruption should be strengthened and made effective. NAB was only used to victimize politicians and bureaucracy by the former NS and the present Mush government.
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
I don't think its time to shutdown the org, instead they be made govt-interference-free just like we need free judiciary we need an institution which can probe into irregularities, crimes, nepotism, power abuse of businesses, politicians, govt institutions etc.
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
Exactly!
The PPP govt has now shut down this joke on Pakistan 
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
The Mush govt destroyed the institution created by itself. But I personlly know many corrupt (to the core and who thought that they were king of the organisation) people from PTCL were punished through NAB! So it was by no means a total joke.
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
^ true. whereas it was used for political purposes elsewhere I too have seen a few corrupt civil servants sweat because of NAB. not surprising PPP had it shut down.
Re: The National Accountability Bureau
well the idea behind this NAB was good, though fell down due to normal pressures in Pak.
what needs to done is to be independant as institution, only if the current FIA, IB or normal courts cant handle scandles.
i think the bottom line is make law supereme in every department what shape or form it stays.
The National Accountability Bureau/Should NAB be abolished? (merged)
I think NAB has done some good things and it can do lot even better if it isn’t used as tool to victimize political opponents.
http://nation.com.pk/daily/Apr-2008/3/index11.php
NAB officials unsure of fate
AMRAIZ KHAN
LAHORE - After the announcement of Prime Minister Syed Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani in his speech to abolish the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), officials are not sure what fate is in store for NAB, whether it will be abolished outrightly or continue to serve with a new name under the control of superior judiciary.
The legal experts , however, say that it cannot be abolished with an executive order or simple announcement.
A senior official deputed in NAB seeking anonymity said that at International level accountability institutions were named as Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and hopefully govt of Pakistan would also rename the NAB and make it as an independent institution to combat corruption.
Pakistan Army has called back it officials deputed in NAB and they would be repatriated by April 15 of this month, only nine senior officials of Force were performing in NAB Punjab including, one Maj.Gen, two Brigs. Four Lt. Cols. and two Majors whereas there are 50 to 55 people serving across the country in NAB.
The sources in the Bureau said that NAB since its formation has filed 1306 references against various people out of which 709 were decided and accused were convicted in 479 cases while 100 cases were sent back to their parent depts. About 2081 inquiries were started out of which 1046 were completed 626 closed down.
NAB recovered Rs 223 billion from the various accused, which was unprecedented in the history of Pakistan, Rs 117 billion were recovered only in bank default cases.
Last year only 232 cases were filed out of which 73 were decided and accused were convicted in 29 cases among which Double Shah case was most important wherein he had minted more than Rs.9 billion from the people fraudulently.
It is worth mentioning here that there were more than 40,000 affectees of Double Shah to whom NAB has started returning their amounts in installments.
Another important case was Forex Companies fraud wherein these companies have looted about Rs Seven billion from the people and good number of people were returning their amounts by NAB.
About the abolishing of NAB, a legal expert said that it could only be abolished by the Parliament with simple majority rather than two thirds majority.
He said that to do this govt would have to exercise legislation in the Parliament under Article 89 of the Constitution as the NAB was formed under an Ordinance and it was protected with 270AA of the Constitution.
Re: Should NAB be abolished?
^^Already a thread is opened on this subject.
Re: Should NAB be abolished?
Shamraz, the Prime Minister has only annouced his intention to abolish NAB, but he certainly cannot do that without the specific written approval of the President beforehand.
You see NAB, like the Local Govt system, Election laws (i.e. 3rd time bar on PM, Graduation clause etc), along with a raft of other laws are protected under Schedule 6 of the Constitution. Technically speaking no parliament can amend these laws (even with a 2/3 majority), until they receive prior approval from the President.
“Laws not to be Altered, Repealed or Amended without the Previous Sanction of the President.”
http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/schedules/schedule6.html
So announcing your intention is one thing, actual implementation is quite another. 
Re: The National Accountability Bureau/Should NAB be abolished? (merged)
Since bro pride (:ASA: ) already brought an old thread to life we'll use that one.
Re: Should NAB be abolished?
The PPP Law Minister has confirmed exactly what I said in my earlier post, about trying to abolish NAB.
**NAB cannot be abolished without Musharraf’s nod **
By Usman Manzoor
The PPP government cannot abolish the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) without the permission of President Pervez Musharraf, Law Minister Farooq H Naek revealed to The News on Friday. The PPP will have to join hands with the president to get an amendment to the Constitution to abolish the NAB as the consent of the president is mandatory for initiating any amendment to the Schedule-six of the Constitution. Dr Naek said the prime minister had announced to reorganise the NAB courts but the NAB ordinance could not be repealed without the consent of the president as it had been given a protection in the Schedule-six. He said the law ministry was studying the options of amending the laws protected by the Schedule-six and the consent of the president was required to initiate any amendment to the protected laws but study of all options was being carried on. He said: “Legislation is being made while keeping in view the provisions of the Constitution on the wrapping up of the NAB.” “The law which is in the offing will be of public interest and the PPP will repeal all black laws which have been made to suppress the common man and will dispel all such courts that do not come under the jurisdiction of the superior courts.”
According to the Schedule-six of the Constitution, the following laws cannot be altered, repealed or amended without the previous sanction of the president: The National Accountability Bureau Ordinance 1999, Local Government Ordinance 2001, The Election Commission Order 2002, The Political Parties Order 2002, The Qualification to Hold Public Offices Order 2002 and The Police Order 2002.
A senior legal mind of the pro-Musharraf camp, Senator SM Zafar agrees with Naek’s view. He told The News that according to the present constitutional position, even parliament could not undertake any amendments to any clause that fell in the Schedule-six of the Constitution. He said before considering any alteration in the Schedule-six, parliament would require the consent of the president. Zafar said the prime minister could discuss the matter with the president but could not advise him to act likewise on the amendment to the laws protected under the Schedule-six and the president was not bound to act on the advice of the prime minister. Senior advocate and PML-Q Senator Dr Khalid Ranjha said parliament had to take the permission of the president to initiate any amendment to the Schedule-six of the Constitution and any amendment without the president’s sanction would be unconstitutional. He said if the president showed his consent to any legislation in the Schedule-six, then parliament could amend it through a simple legislation. However, sources in the NAB said the bureau had announced new vacancies for the posts of inspectors and sub-inspectors right after the prime minister announced its abolishment. The NAB chairman was abroad and had a routine day on Friday after his arrival, said the sources. They added the NAB had not received any written order regarding its wind up and the business was being carried on as usual.