Bulk of NAB recoveries in form of assets, land
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• Anti-graft body claims to have retrieved Rs9tr since 2023
• Instead of clipping its wings, changes to NAB law expanded scope of its work, says chairman
ISLAMABAD: Claims by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of recovering almost Rs9 trillion in just two years (2023–25) may seem unbelievable, but the data reveals that most of the anti-graft watchdog’s recoveries are not in cash.
Instead, they consist of non-monetary assets such as land and properties belonging to various state institutions that had been illegally occupied by individuals and groups.
After the ouster of the PTI-led federal government in April 2022, the PML-N-led coalition amended the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 so that NAB could only take up cases involving Rs500 million or more.
These new laws, which seemingly curtailed its powers, actually ended up expanding the anti-graft body’s scope and led to remarkable recoveries, according to its chief.
“Since passage of the legislation, everybody assumed NAB had become redundant. but in fact, it was a blessing in disguise as we approached many government institutions, offering them help in recovering their illegally occupied land worth trillions,” NAB Chairman retired Lt Gen Nazir Ahmed Butt said in a recent media briefing.
“This has made NAB’s job more demanding but also more useful for the state and its institutions,” he added.
This was the maiden formal media interaction for Lt Gen Butt, who took charge in March 2023.
Comparing his performance with NAB’s past record, he recalled that from its creation in 1999 to March 2023, the bureau recovered $3.15 billion. However, the two-and-a-half-years that he has been in charge, he said the bureau had recovered a staggering of $29.99bn.
These include cash recoveries of Rs1.124tr (roughly $4bn), with the rest coming in the form of assets.
In his remarks, the chairman said that over the past 26 years, the government provided Rs62bn to NAB, while the bureau had recovered Rs9tr, making its performance unmatched by any anti-corruption agency in the world.
New measures
According to NAB documents seen by Dawn, the 2022 reforms made affidavits and undertakings from complainants a mandatory process, and the term “accused” was replaced with “defendant”.
The bureau also developed a mechanism for handling cardinal consideration-complaints against parliamentarians, government officials and businessmen.
In addition, Accountability Facilitation Cells were set up in National and provincial assemblies, the Establishment Division and the offices of chief secretaries.
“We don’t approach any lawmaker or businessman directly, but through their respective speaker and chamber of commerce,” the chairman said.
He said this approach had restored bureaucrats’ confidence, as many had earlier stopped signing important files.
Under its new strategy, NAB has been now focusing on recovering several categories of state land, including misappropriated, underutilised, illegally possessed and hidden land, as well as land not registered with revenue authorities.
Meanwhile, the bureau has geared up its efforts to curb money laundering, trace illegal foreign assets, freeze bank accounts and properties, make immediate arrests and ensure swift recovery of crime proceeds.
Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2025
