ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday issued guidelines for its regional offices in the light of two amendments in laws passed recently, noting that cases of money laundering, assets beyond known sources of income and cheating the public at large will remain in the NAB’s domain.

The guidelines issued by the Prosecutor General Accountability (PGA) were sent to all deputy prosecutors general in all regional bureaus. According to the guidelines, “NAB could take action against any person or entity who, or transaction in relation thereto, which are not directly or indirectly connected with the holder of a public office”.

The PGA’s guidelines said the provisions of the ordinance shall be applicable on the cases taken up by NAB before Oct 6, including money laundering cases. However, following are the cases which will not be applicable to the following person or transactions: “All matters pertaining to federal, provincial or local taxation, other levies or imposts, including refunds, or loss of exchequer pertaining to taxation; decisions of federal or provincial cabinet, their committees or sub-committees, Council of Common Interests, National Economic Council, National Finance Commission, Executive Committee of the National Economic Council, Central Development Working Party, Provincial Development Working Party, Departmental Development Working Party, and the State Bank of Pakistan; procedural lapses in any public or governmental work, project or scheme, unless it is shown that a holder of public office or any other person has been conferred or has received any monetary or other material benefit from that particular public or governmental work, whether directly or indirectly on account of such procedural lapses, which the recipient was otherwise not entitled to receive.”

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2021