ISLAMABAD  -   National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice Javed Iqbal said Wednesday that the Bureau's anti-corruption awareness policy has been praised by Transparency International (TI), World Economic Forum (WEF), Global Peace Canada, PILDAT and other reputable organisations.

Chairing a meeting held to a review NAB's awareness policy, he said over 50,000 character building societies have been set up in universities across the country to provide awareness to the youth about the dangers of corruption. The results of establishing youth character building societies in universities were excellent.

The character building societies were playing a vital role in creating awareness among the youth in universities and colleges about the ill effects of corruption. The NAB has introduced a new concept of Combine Investigation Team (CIT) for effective investigation of cases, which has benefited from the experience and collective wisdom of the investigating officers and has not only verified complaints, inquiries and investigations but also completed them. The bureau's policy of educating the public about the ill effects of corruption remained successful.

The NAB, in collaboration with various NGOs, media, civil society and other sections of the society, has launched an awareness campaign to educate the public, especially the youth, about the ill effects of corruption in such an early age.

NAB's media wing has effectively highlighted NAB's awareness and remedial efforts through print, electronic and social media which has been appreciated by all sections of the society. Out of 179 mega corruption cases, 66 mega corruption cases were brought to a logical conclusion by the esteemed accountability courts. The NAB chairman said the present management of NAB has taken several steps to curb corruption.

Excellent results of these measures have reported. He said that due to effective prosecution of NAB during the last four years from 2017 to December 2021, the accountability courts had convicted 1405 accused while the NAB had directly and indirectly recovered Rs 584 billions and the recovered amount have been deposited in the national treasury. Which was the best performance of NAB as compared to any anti-corruption agency. The money recovered by NAB was returned to thousands of victims of housing societies and various departments.

He said that NAB was committed to bring mega corruption cases to a logical conclusion by following the policy of "Accountability for All" for complete eradication of corruption from Pakistan all the resources are being utilised to achieve the goal of corruption eradication.

The logical conclusion of corruption cases, assets in excess of sources of income, fraud / illegal housing societies / cooperative housing societies through mass fraud to the public and Mudaraba / Musharaka scandals to is the top priority of the NAB.

He said that today NAB has become a dynamic and dignified institution. About 1,237 references of corruption are under trial right now in accountability courts across the country and their total value is about 1,335 billion rupees.