ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) says it has recovered 235,622 kanals of Pakistan Railways land in Punjab and Sindh, valued at Rs6.78 trillion, and identified a further 225,000 acres.
NAB Chairman Lieutenant General (retd) Nazir Ahmed, Director General Operations Amjad Aulakh and the Pakistan Railways director general briefed journalists in Islamabad on recoveries made between July and September. Officials said proceeds from any government sale of the recovered land could potentially help fund the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project.
The bureau also reported recovering forest land worth Rs1.712 trillion in Balochistan and government land valued at Rs563 billion in Lahore. It said Rs207 billion recovered in public-fraud cases had been returned to victims.
Ahmed said NAB’s priorities included recovering public assets, protecting people from fraud and investigating money laundering. He said the bureau was relying on verified land records to pursue encroachment cases dating back to 1947, adding that it was not targeting any particular government. He said public funds would be pursued before references were filed or arrests made, and that accountability would apply regardless of a suspect’s status.
The chairman also announced action over alleged irregularities in the power sector and said NAB would examine matters involving mines and minerals and Auqaf departments. A committee has been formed to address investors’ complaints about inadequate protection.
Ahmed called for lowering the Rs500 million threshold for NAB action, arguing that a reduced limit would expand the bureau’s powers. He also criticized what he described as limited cooperation from some foreign countries on Pakistan’s money-laundering inquiries and urged property tycoon Malik Riaz to return and face the cases against him.
