ISLAMABAD  - As it is said, the institutions without active bosses often ends up in yielding poor efficiency, this can be verified by analysing the situation that National Accountability Bureau, one of the elite investigative institutes of the country, has been faced with.
Background interviews and off-the-record conversations with the key officials and investigators of NAB revealed on Monday that some of the mighty officials accused in the OGRA scam have not only refused to appear before the NAB investigation team despite repeated summons served to them, but also were exerting pressure on the bureau to stop serving them notices.
Insiders told The Nation that the NAB was under immense pressure from certain quarters to give relief to some high profile and mighty accused in the Ogra scam.
"Without a boss, institutions normally end up in smoke. This is what's happening in the NAB. Officials investigating the important cases are under constant pressure to withdraw notices served to some mighty accused including former Advisor Petroleum Dr Asim, Syed Naveed Qamar, former minister for petroleum and renowned business tycoon belonging to Karachi, ex-chairman SECP Muhammad Ali, former Managing Director (MD) Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) Dr Faizullah those influencing the investigations," said a source.
It merits mentioning here that NAB issued notices to some mighty accused in the Rs 82 billion Ogra scam, including former prime ministers Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Yusuf Raza Gilani for an investigation into the illegal appointment of Ogra ex-chairman Tauqir Sadiq, a key suspect in the mega corruption case.  Since the NAB is operating without a chairman now that is benefiting the accused. These accused including the two former premiers are taking full benefit of a weak NAB at the moment and were reluctant to cooperate in investigations, said a source.
"They are exerting pressure on weak NAB to withdraw notices that have already been issued against them," said a senior official of NAB urging this scribe to raise the issue of appointment of an honest and well-reputed chairman of NAB.