New NAB chief slams Shahbaz Sharif over graft charges

E-Paper | June 14, 2026

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal on Friday criticised Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for calling NAB a ‘corrupt organisation’.

According to a private TV channel, the NAB chief slammed the Punjab chief minister and said that those who now called NAB a corrupt organisation had finally opened their eyes to the scourge of corruption. Why couldn’t they watch and end the scourge when they were in power, the NAB chief asked.

Justice Iqbal was made NAB chief on Oct 8 after Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah reached consensus on the issue.

“What’s the objective of calling NAB a corrupt organisation just when its new chairman has taken over charge?” he asked.

He said NAB had played an important role in eliminating corruption from the country, adding that he would adopt a zero tolerance policy towards corrupt officials.

The Punjab chief minister had on Thursday claimed that NAB was the most corrupt organisation of the country and that it was being used for political purposes.

Mr Sharif made the remarks after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law retired Capt Safdar were indicted in a NAB reference on the charges of corruption.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2017

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ASLAM USMAN

Oct 21, 2017 08:31am

Our old politicians are corrupted. They took cash out of the country. All this politician who has asst out side the country and never mentioned on their documents when they were running for public office. Supereme court should order to corrupted politician to bring every penny from abroad to Pakistan. I hope our justice department will work honestly and better for the country.

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Syed Ahmed

Oct 21, 2017 08:33am

Open the Hudaibya and the LNG case.

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My Advice

Oct 21, 2017 08:36am

Nation is happy to see Justice Jawed Iqbal, a very respectable person becoming the head of NAB. Now, there is no reason to criticize NAB, as it takes little bit of time to correct any situation. People trust Justice Iqbal, and it would not be very long before NAB would start to show some excellent performance to meet its aims and objectives.

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Commotion

Oct 21, 2017 08:36am

Bad tactics on the part of pretenders.

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Shahid

Oct 21, 2017 08:43am

How can one justify an ineligible person to hold a public office or contest an election after his/her disqualification by SC can exercise control over elected law makers as head of their party?

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Rid of democracy

Oct 21, 2017 08:44am

It appears justice retired Iqbal is finding out how the politicians try to save their skin ...they shouldn't worry corruption in the man now but hudaiba mills corruption and kickbacks on various metro and highway projects ...they all of a stench of rotten meat

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Muneer

Oct 21, 2017 08:52am

Good.Such a statement was required to keep NAB going as long as it is allowed to exist by the corrupt rulers.

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fahimkhalil

Oct 21, 2017 08:53am

Open Hudabiya and LNG case... And appeal against all cases against Zardari. .. Why ppl like you and Justice Mansoor leaves this country to become a prograssive, develop and corruption Free country? ?? You are the supporters of Corrupt Mafia. .

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Nauman M

Oct 21, 2017 09:27am

Open drama from both sides but keeping PML-N in strong contention.

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Kalim Ullah

Oct 21, 2017 09:36am

Prove your worth now by taking action and neglecting influences from all sides. NAB's real worth lies accomplishing tasks assigned to it and not in mere crying over past.

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Irfan

Oct 21, 2017 09:57am

One corrupt shouts to another. The other one shouts back rather than open and pursue the cases with honesty.

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Star

Oct 21, 2017 10:03am

Mr. Sharif has forgotten that nobody is clean in this political arena and if NAB had probed all cases on merit Mr. CM would be behind bars..!

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Faisal

Oct 21, 2017 10:20am

Both are correct. There is no doubt that NAB has always been used selectively and mostly targets those politicians who are on establishments left. Once they cut a deal NAB forgets them too. NAB chairman is also correct. There is no doubt NS etc have I'll gotten gains.

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Nadeem

Oct 21, 2017 10:30am

Set a higher price for himself

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Tamza

Oct 21, 2017 10:46am

Anyone who says " ... eliminating corruption from the country .. " is lying. Case closed. NAB is a bunch of corrupt appointees.

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Ayub

Oct 21, 2017 10:57am

NAB result will speak and not allegations and interviews.Pakistan is one of the most corrupt countries of the world.Most of the government officers in lucrative posts are living beyond their means.

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Sab se pehle pakistan

Oct 21, 2017 11:09am

Please help release Justice Baqar Najafi's report. Innocent victims of Lahore Model Town Massacre are still waiting for justice. Open Hudaibiya Paper Mill case as well.

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karamba

Oct 21, 2017 12:07pm

Well NAB chief needs to prove it rather than just go for rhetoric. A law unto itself who decides what and who to punish and how much. How many times have they caught the big fishes, how many peanut deals have been done while giving them a clean chit causing harm to the tax payers and country. This was highlighted by the Supreme Court. Some introspection is required with poor faith expressed from public as well as the highest court in the land.

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M.Saeed

Oct 21, 2017 01:49pm

Changing The top boss does not change the habits of the staff just in a jiffy.

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syed shahzad bukhari

Oct 21, 2017 04:29pm

Zero tolerance for curruption whatsoever is either army, politician, civil servant or religious cleric, courtesy of Imran Khan to bring that new accountability culture to Pakistan.

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Sher Khan

Oct 21, 2017 04:45pm

@Syed Ahmed Both these and Mega Corruption cases also, which SC has been asking from the previous corrupt NAB Chairman.

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SAEED AHMAD BHATTI

Oct 22, 2017 02:43am

I am feeling very proud & pleasure to receive latest all kind of news at home by the DAWN. My interest is to get informed politics of Pakistani leaders who's are denying their corruption by all the ways. But they didn't know the peoples who's are now awakened up. We are hopeful from Naib for clear justice. INSHALLAH. Any how I am greatly thankful to dawn for their efforts to give knowledge of all kind of news.

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