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The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) said on Thursday it has recovered nearly Rs3.3 billion worth of cash and properties from the plea bargain deal the bureau struck with Mushtaq Ahmed Raisani, the then finance secretary of Balochistan, and Sohail Majeed Shah, contractor and frontman of ex-adviser to Chief Minister Balochistan, as part of their corruption scandal.
At a press conference, Director General (DG) operations NAB Zahir Shah said the bureau will transfer the amount to its rightful owners after the plea bargain is materialised.
"NAB will not keep a penny from this... nor does it ever [keep the recovered amount]," he said.
He said any amount recovered by NAB is handed over to provincial governments via their chief secretaries.
Recovery from Raisani, Sohail
Giving a breakdown of the cash and properties seized by NAB as part of the plea bargain deal, Shah said Raisani had surrendered Rs653 million in cash and 3.3 kilogram of gold worth Rs13.5m to NAB. This cash and gold had been recovered during a NAB raid at his residence in May.
Raisani has also given up two properties, the first one, worth Rs60m is in Quetta and the other is located in Karachi's DHA worth Rs70m.
"These are in addition to the 11 properties already seized by NAB" from Raisani and Majeed, Shah said. All 11 of these properties are in DHA and are valued at a purchase price of Rs1.25bn. They include two commercial plazas, three houses of minimum 500 sq yards each and six "very valuable" residential plots.
"NAB expects that the 11 properties will sell for between Rs1.5bn to 2bn."
Raisani has also surrendered two luxury cars including a Mercedes Benz and a Toyota Grande both of which are worth nearly Rs8m, Shah said.
Hence, the total assets surrendered by Raisani are worth Rs800m while his 11 properties are worth Rs1.25bn.
Talking about the alleged corruption of Sohail Majeed Shah, contractor and frontman of Khalid Lango, ex-adviser to Chief Minister Balochistan, the NAB official said the accused had agreed to return all the money that he passed onto others.
"He has surrendered Rs960m which went into his accounts."
Sohail Shah has also given up some "valuable" houses that he possesses, he announced.
NAB spokesman Asim Ali Nawazish told DawnNews that NAB will soon start the process to sell the properties through court to hand over the recovered amount to Balochistan government.
The total amount recovered from the two men amounts to Rs.3.25bn, the DG NAB said, adding that the bank accounts of both men have been frozen.
The NAB official said an investigation against Lango, ex-adviser to Chief Minister Balochistan is in final stages and his case would soon be referred to court.
Raisani hit the headlines in May this year when NAB seized over Rs730 million hard cash from his house in Quetta hours after he was taken into custody.
The executive board meeting (EBM) of NAB, which itself had put Raisani’s corruption figure at Rs40bn, accepted his plea bargain request for Rs2bn on Wednesday.
A NAB spokesman earlier said Raisani would be “fully cleared” after the plea bargain deal is approved by the accountability court.
Read more
On DawnNews
Comments (89) Closed
Dec 22, 2016 03:14pm
Get money and open the gates of your prisons, corruption is no more a crime but a lottery for those who can commit corruption and go free..?!
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Dec 22, 2016 03:16pm
Let's hope it doesn't end up in some offshore account, of a Panamanian Company to buy some flats in London.
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Dec 22, 2016 03:23pm
Its better.we got something back.better than them sotting in the jails forever.lets make stricter rules like china we should punish the corrupt.
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Dec 22, 2016 03:20pm
So I'll be free too after I do corruption worth billions, or would law differ for me in pmln Pakistan?
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Dec 22, 2016 03:24pm
Bargain or no bargain he should get life in prison. Crime of this intensity should not be tolerated.
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Dec 22, 2016 03:27pm
Estimated corruption proceeds of 40bn, plea bargain recovery of 2bn. Moral of the story, steal what you can and pay back 5% to get a "get out of jail card".
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Dec 22, 2016 03:33pm
Where's the jail time? Is this a joke?
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Dec 22, 2016 03:33pm
Great, will be "fully cleared" after plea bargain deal is approved! Fully cleared to do what? Loot and plunder once again? Welcome to the land of the pure!
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Dec 22, 2016 03:54pm
I am trying to ascertain where this figure of Rs40Billion came from but cannot see in any proceedings. Perhaps IK can pinpoint this or is it just another 35 !!!!!!!!!!!!
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Dec 22, 2016 03:56pm
Money taken by corruption should be confiscated by the state but this matter should not end there. He should be put behind bars for long time for abusing his position of authority. That's what any other civilised country would do.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:01pm
reminds of the 'cleaning chip' from The Dark Knight Rises, cleans all your record
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Dec 22, 2016 04:04pm
His crime was simply that he kept the looted money in the country. Other politicians take the money abroad!
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Dec 22, 2016 04:06pm
If he is from Army, no one will complain about this plea bargain.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:04pm
Some jail time for Mr. Mushtaq Raisani should have been part of the plea bargain.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:08pm
Not a bad business:
Loot 40 Billion, pay 3.25 Billion as fines, perhaps another 3 Billion to officials and keep the rest.
Total benefit 3o+ billion rupees!!
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Dec 22, 2016 04:07pm
@Fareed hes been cleared!
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Dec 22, 2016 04:11pm
What was the total amount in alleged corruption? and how much total he has returned? NAB should provide full details to public
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Dec 22, 2016 04:20pm
WOW! do as much corruption as you want steal as much money as you want yet you are offered a safe exit through plea bargain. As a protest I intend to write "Plea Bargain" on a peace of paper and jump on it with my shoe on. Disgusting.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:27pm
Thanks NAB for the guidance.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:33pm
Little corruption can take you to jail but massive corruption will help you come out clean if caught.....
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Dec 22, 2016 04:33pm
Epitomization of what a moral collapse of a society looks like... when corruption is a way of life.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:39pm
There must not be any deal , deal for what ? I f he is found guilty all of his money should be transferred to Pakistan Govt. and he should be punished as per law. If he is not punished than no poor in Pakistan shall be punished . Law should be same for everyone .
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Dec 22, 2016 04:41pm
The deal is to let go a criminal when he pays panelty? what kind of law is it, it clearly shows some rich guy can buy the law for money. There has to be equivalent punishment for poor and rich for the crime they do.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:41pm
General Musharraf says RS helped him out. Nawaz Sharif was helped out by Arab Royalty. Who's helping Raisani get out of jail time??
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Dec 22, 2016 04:42pm
@Nazir, he'll be dry-cleaned to indulge in more corruption when the the next chance presents itself!!!
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Dec 22, 2016 04:45pm
In Pakistan all you have to say is: PLEASE BARGAIN! and then it turns into a PLEA BARGAIN.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:43pm
It is a circus out there.
Sounds like early August, 1990.
Something fishy!
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Dec 22, 2016 04:43pm
Supreme Court must take suo moto action against this corrupt person, Raeesani.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:47pm
3.35bn recovery plus 2bn plea deal makes it 5.35 bn. NAB itself put the corruption figure at 40 bn. It means he pays only 13.48% of the corruption money and is cleared. In other words, of every 100 rupees of corruption money, he pays back only 13 rupees and 48 paisa and keep 86 rupees and 52 paisa to himself. What a deal. Where is the penalty in all this? Oh he will not be allowed a job for X years. Does he need to work ever again? What lesson and precedence it sets for others like him? It only proves that corruption is highly lucrative and profitable business. It is net huge loss to the State and its Provinces all around. No state can sustain such huge losses and survive for long.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:49pm
So far it is clear, do corruption if you get away with it all is yours , if you are caught return part of the loot and go free without going to prison. Corruption is not felony but misdemeanor like missing a traffic stop sign.
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Dec 22, 2016 04:58pm
The nation is at cross-roads and it must decide.
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Dec 22, 2016 05:14pm
Tip of Iceberg
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Dec 22, 2016 05:17pm
Imagine if this was done by MQM...........use your imagination
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Dec 22, 2016 05:19pm
you don't need to because you must have already taken your share which might be more than what is being recovered... Nobody with a bit of self respect will trust you any more..
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Dec 22, 2016 05:20pm
perfect example of criminal use of law!
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Dec 22, 2016 05:26pm
What a country ... looted 40 bin and plead 2 Bln
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Dec 22, 2016 05:23pm
@Ahmed bin Babar makes me wonder why am i wasting time in usa when the wealth to br made by corruption is in pakistan
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Dec 22, 2016 05:31pm
What about the rest of money part of 40 billion scam. where it will go. NAB taking its share and leaving the accused open to do more corruption.
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Dec 22, 2016 05:36pm
What the hell with you NAB? Where is accountability?
Welcome to Pakistan. Where a person, indicted for 40billion rupees, is cleared of all charges for clearing just 3.35billion.
Where would the rest of money will go? In whose pockets? Its a question of 36.5billion Pakistani taxpayers money.
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Dec 22, 2016 05:37pm
NAB failed to arrest Sharif and Zardari on the very same charges.
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Dec 22, 2016 05:45pm
Whats going on in our country????? Actually we are setting new trend for the new generation that they can do everything just after paying the small amount against their any wrong doing.
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Dec 22, 2016 05:53pm
How about we give back the 2 billion and send him to prison for 40 years? Also end the NAB dept.
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Dec 22, 2016 05:51pm
indeed a good move... but have we made a net large enough to catch the sharks..we are so blinded by the power and corruption.. folks..i i guess blindness is a private matter between a person larger than our life and the eyes of those millions who have the sights but no vision..
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Dec 22, 2016 05:53pm
@ABood no thank you. We dont want peanuts. We want too see the elite looters rot in jail.
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Dec 22, 2016 05:57pm
Just imagine how much more money this guy would have hidden overseas or in others names that he'll use after being cleared.
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Dec 22, 2016 05:58pm
Its time for people to come out on streets against NAB.
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Dec 22, 2016 05:59pm
"NAB will not keep a penny from this" This is not the issue!! The issue is that a convict is allowed to go free because he has bribed the institution in the name of plea bargain. This is not justice, this is fraud!!
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Dec 22, 2016 06:08pm
So let me paraphrase this; I get a govt. job. Steal 40 billion rupees. Make a plea bargain for 2 billion and walk away cleared of all charges with 38 billion. Even after adding a billion to pay people off here and there and a few days incarcerated till I get bailed; I walk out after all expenses paid with more or less 35 billion or about 380 million USD with the only 'penalty' of not getting a government or a banking job for the next 10 years. The only thing I can say is that how can the government even expect a single penny in tax revenue from common citizens after incidents like these? Seriously mind-boggling.
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Dec 22, 2016 06:09pm
@ABood Are you serious? it's better? He walked away with about 35 billon rupees that he stole from us! With the only penalty of not getting another government job for 10 years? His next 10 generations don't even need a job... This is blatant corruption on both ends. He stole the money and NAB let him walk away free after a 5% fine... What kind of a precedent does it set for all others? Steal 10 pay back 1 and walk away with 9.
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Dec 22, 2016 06:15pm
@@ Not just the NAB but this pathetic joke of a government that we are forced to live under. If us the common people don't do anything about it then we are literally let them drive us AND our country in to the ground. We know the institutions don't function even at a 10% level but yet they are still there harassing common citizens and letting the bigwigs walk 'cleared of all charges'.
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Dec 22, 2016 06:19pm
Why nobody is asking the source of Mr Raisani's ill-gotten money? Whether it was kick-back, drug money, or any other source, many other people must have been involved. The plea bargain ensures that those people are never named and never caught.It is essentially, "keep us free" bargain.
Secondly, when somebody spent that much money it must have been either to deprive someone else of his/her rights or to compromise on quality in something or the other. Who is going to correct that?
What a rotten piece of law!
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Dec 22, 2016 06:24pm
Is their any limit of corruption and greed? Looking at Panama leaks and this guy it looks like their is no limit.
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Dec 22, 2016 06:31pm
NAB , a weapon used by every ruling party, pick & choose, selective investigation. No such action against Zardari or Nawaz Sharif.
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Dec 22, 2016 06:42pm
So this is our system, this is our Islamic value of our Islamic Constituiton , Rob 40 B give back 2 B and your free to go
Good job to all the authorities . You did not recover anything except bring shame to yourselves because this is how normal intelligent Humans see you all who live in Pakistan and overseas
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Dec 22, 2016 06:53pm
Not in cash but a lot in kind!
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Dec 22, 2016 07:01pm
Now track undiscovered money, you will find other big players. Put these criminals in jail and get more information from them. They already have more money outside Pakistan, if you will leave them, they will have pleasant time outside Pakistan, and you know lots of western governments will happily grant then protection.
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Dec 22, 2016 07:16pm
According to the Forbes' list of wealthiest heads of states of the world, there are two Pakistanis listed. Zardari at No-1 with $ 1.8 billions net worth and Nawaz Sharif at No-2, with $ 1.4 billions.
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Dec 22, 2016 07:35pm
It is OK in the Republic of Pakistan
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Dec 22, 2016 07:46pm
And people say Pakistan is a poor country!!!
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Dec 22, 2016 07:56pm
Full accountability for the recovered money and proper disposal and after disposal accountability is required.
Good job NAB. For a lesson to the future dishonest leaders and government officials, he must go to jail.
Leaders and officials listen to the public and understand their sentiments, "public is tired and fed up with the corrupt leaders and officials".
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Dec 22, 2016 07:59pm
What do people of Balochistan get out of this for whose development these funds were meant and whose trust was betrayed with these people? What guarantee they get that the next set of people won't repeat the same and again go scot free through plea bargain. Its a shameful arrangement.
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Dec 22, 2016 08:10pm
This is nothing tip of iceberg
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Dec 22, 2016 08:10pm
Well done NAB, you could not even get the full amount of him!! He gets to keep most of his corrupt money and gets a clean chit as well...he should be made to pay every penny back and be sent to jail as well.!!!!!!!I am so angry.
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Dec 22, 2016 08:09pm
Shut down NAB
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Dec 22, 2016 08:09pm
DO CORRUPTION MAKE A DEAL
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Dec 22, 2016 08:13pm
What does the NAB statement "fully cleared" means. Does this mean be exonerated from further actions and shall get another assignment to embezzle further using this experience.
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Dec 22, 2016 08:16pm
How interesting. Government funds meant for the people are stolen and invested into real-estate in Karachi and perhaps around the world, for more free money. These criminals aren't even worried about hiding their loot, but the tax agencies are totally oblivious to these crimes.
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Dec 22, 2016 08:21pm
NAB not keeping a single penny makes him a free man? Is this a joke?
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Dec 22, 2016 08:24pm
The Rich and Rais people like Raisani should be given a chance to make Pakistan Rich and Debt Free.They have the capabilities to do so.
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Dec 22, 2016 09:03pm
Rs 3.35 billion is a huge amount for an individual but peanuts for a provincial government. Return of Rs 3.35 itself will do no wonders for the government but setting an example out of Risani would have left a huge impact for others. This impact is worth far more than 3 billion Rs.
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Dec 22, 2016 09:41pm
Why allow plea bargain when you already have the eight homes and the cash that was seized from his home.. I mean you allow plea bargains in exchange for something significant right?
Corruption and the corrupted ... Enjoy yourselves so called Pakistanis .. but nothing lasts forever and don't ever forget it.
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Dec 22, 2016 09:52pm
And I quote "He said any amount recovered by NAB is handed over to provincial governments via their chief secretaries." Which means the recovered money will now go into the bank account of others in the provincial government - hehe :)
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Dec 22, 2016 09:59pm
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) did excellent work, to "nab" corrupt Finance Secretary in Quetta with stolen 3.3 billion in cash and properties. Even though the looted money has been recovered, he must "not" be set free. He must be punished for his crime against the people.
This official must be jailed for at least 20 years, to set an example and warning for other government officials to give up the evil of corruption. The government must declare "zero tolerance" on corruption, only then the country would progress and prosper.
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Dec 22, 2016 10:02pm
So he will be set free after looting all this money?
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Dec 22, 2016 10:05pm
By not keeping money, NAB u r not doing favor. NAB is established to curb corruption, NAB is payed for that.
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Dec 22, 2016 10:18pm
"...amount recovered is handed over to provincial governments via their chief secretaries", only to be stolen again by someone else in the Govt!!! This money should be used for the people, water, schools, healthcare!!! hopefully not roads for the elite cars and their gas!
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Dec 22, 2016 10:38pm
Why MNS is bent upon proving that it's a banana republic?
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Dec 22, 2016 10:53pm
So the taxes on money earned through corruption is 5% and money earned by legal means is 15%. That is crazy.
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Dec 22, 2016 11:05pm
How about jahangir tareen transition through his cook and driver,accepted the guilt and paid the fine?Still honorable man ,MNA and sectary general of PTI.
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Dec 22, 2016 11:24pm
Nothing will happen. I can assure you that the man will not pay more than a couple of million and will be exonerated. Most of the ceased assets are investments in the real estate sector. Try selling a criminal's property who is already on the loose and is from a lawless place. The estimated values are definitely overstated. Mansions usually turn out to be no more than dilapidated structures in some run down part of Karachi. Real estate investments in Quetta?? somebody in NAB has a warped sense of humor, since anybody who can afford to invest in real estate from Quetta is already parked in Karachi.
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Dec 22, 2016 11:42pm
Nobody was expecting tha NAB will keep the money so not sure why this statement
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Dec 23, 2016 02:49am
The NAB person who broke this deal will be rewarded after his retirement by the same corrupt finance minister, and good things about this, corrupt politicians never get disqualified by Pakistan election commission board, everything is hallah , no matters what crimes have commented.
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Dec 23, 2016 06:11am
If the police or law enforcing agencies arrests suspicious persons as robbers or terrorists and upon investigation recovered the looted amount and weapons shall the police simply released them as they honorably surrendered their looted booty because they are considered as honest & set them free as did by NAB for Ahmad Raisani,for this justice the government should nominate for NOBLE PRIZE.
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Dec 23, 2016 07:13am
Immunity and plea bargain are some of the safe guards provided to the elites by the Laws of the Land! When doors are kept open allowing access to opportunists, then why not!
"As long as luck is favoring you, your defects or deeds will remain hidden from eyes of this world".
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Dec 23, 2016 09:58am
Let me ask some questions:
What is the actual work of NAB?
Are they (NAB employees) under some law?
Is their any system to check their working?
Why is everything done in hidden way ?
Who has given or introduced this Plea Bargain system?
If this Plea Bargain System is Ok then what is so special need to establish another highly paid body like NAB?
What is the role of Supreme Court Now ?
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Dec 23, 2016 01:04pm
@ABood Getting 2 billion our of 40 billion corruption... not a bad deal. He still get to keep 38 bloom. What a flawed law and flawed system of accountability. Most surprising is that there's is no one to ask about the total amount. People dying of hunger, more than half of the population is below the poverty line, yet this keeps 38 billion, what a sham.
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Dec 23, 2016 07:51pm
I doubt it.
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Dec 24, 2016 12:48am
Yes it iss right that NAB did not receive a penny from this amount officially but unofficially NAB is succesful in what they wanted to do.
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Dec 24, 2016 04:10pm
I agree that the nab will not be keeping a single Nile penny.....most will go into the ockets who are running the nab. This is our system.
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