ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has issued a notice for the recovery of Rs 5 million to a person who passed away three years ago.
A well-placed source privy to this development told this scribe that senior bosses of the NAB’s Rawalpindi directorate faced humiliation/embarrassment when they were informed that the delinquent Muh
ammad Ashraf had passed away three years ago, and the recovery of Rs 5 million could n
ot be materialised.
The bureau is responsible for retrieving plundered public wealth from criminals, but the performance of this state institution could be gauged by its performance, as it is now issuing notices to deceased persons.
The Rawalpindi directorate, which is plagued with incompetence, corruption and malpractice, issued a notice to delinquent deceased Muh
ammad Ashraf, son of Bahadar Ali and a resident of Islamabad, directing h
im to deposit Rs 5 million in the bureau’s accounts within seven days after receiving the notice. The notice read that the
NAB would take stern action against him if the orders were not complied with.
Muh
ammad Ashraf was accused of corruption worth millions of rupees, and an accountability court in Rawalpindi passed a judgement against him in 2012. The court issued directives to the authorities that Rs 5 million be recovered from him. Muh
ammad Ashraf passed away the very next year. However, it took
NAB three years to come out of hibernation and issue a recovery notice to him. The notice was signed by Senior Director (Recovery) Muh
ammad Ali.
Sources said that Muh
ammad Ali is also facing corruption charges and the NAB’s surveillance department is monitoring his activities very closely.
A source said that the Rawalpindi recovery directorate was bound to issue a notice to the delinquent in 2012 and to pursue it vigorously, but the recovery officer con
cerned took up the case after a lapse of three years.
Senior
NAB officials came to know about the death of the accused only after issuing a notice. The heirs of the delinquent told
NAB officials that he passed away three years ago.
The source also informed this scribe that
NAB Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry took notice of this negligence on part of the
NAB directorate and initiated an inquiry against Muh
ammad Ali for not pursuing the case and failing to recover Rs 5 million. The source said that the
NAB chairman had also summoned
NAB Director General Attique and sought explanation for negligence on behalf of his subordinate.