ISLAMABAD: The National Accoun­tability Bureau has initiated an inquiry into alleged illegal allotment of commercial and industrial plots in Gwadar.

According to an official statement issued on Tuesday, NAB Chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal has sought a comprehensive report within 15 days from the director general of NAB Balochistan about alleged illegal allotment of commercial and industrial plots by the Gwadar Industrial Estate Development Authority (GIEDA).

It said rules were allegedly violated in the allotment of plots which had caused a loss of billions of rupees to the Balochistan government.

It said the NAB chairman had ordered the inquiry after receiving reports that 3,167 acres of state land valuing around Rs70 billion in the port city had illegally been allotted to some people.

The bureau decides to question under which law Transparency International works in Pakistan

According to sources, some NAB officials believe that instead of playing the role of an industrial development authority, GIEDA acts as an estate agency.

They said the initial scrutiny of the record had found that rules were violated by GIEDA in the allotment of commercial and industrial plots.

They said commercial and industrial plots in the port city were being allotted on the basis of favouritism and applications of eligible industrialists and potential investors were being rejected.

Transparency International

Meanwhile, NAB has decided to conduct an investigation against Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) and question under which law it is working in the country.

Interestingly, NAB, which has taken a number of actions on the complaints of TIP, has for the first time decided to check whether or not the TIP has a mandate to “interfere” in the internal matters of national institutions.

The bureau has taken this initiative after the TIP through a media report levelled allegations that “NAB’s officials were misusing their powers”.

Rejecting the allegations, NAB on Tuesday claimed that the TIP had not brought any complaint into the notice of the bureau’s new chairman. “NAB always acts according to the law and it will also ascertain that whether the TIP has a right to directly interfere into the affairs of any institution of Pakistan,” said an official statement of NAB.

“NAB will also know whether Transparency International can initiate any inquiry or investigation against any department of the country,” it added.

“NAB will also ascertain that under which law Transparency International has been registered in Pakistan and what is its actual mandate,” the statement further said.

The bureau will also seek information about the funds being received by the TIP and that whether or not any audit of its funds has ever been conducted. “If not, NAB wants to know that what action has so far been taken by relevant departments of the country against Transparency International,” the statement said.

NAB has also sought report from institutions, like the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Board of Revenue, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and Federal Investigation Agency, regarding TIP’s interference in many state institutions.

“NAB believes that Transparency International has made an attempt to damage credibility of NAB, the institution which was formed to eradicate corruption from society,” it said.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2018