NAB chairman addresses traders, industrialists to reassure them about concerns – Pakistan

The president of the National Office of Accountability (NAB), Javed Iqbal, addressed traders and manufacturers in Lahore on Thursday to assure them that the watchdog is acting on their complaints and that it will not be grounds for interruption in their business.

Defending the guard dog's actions in the recent past, Iqbal said that NAB has never liked to surpass its jurisdiction and that the reason he was & # 39; too active & # 39; It was because the authority had received many cases of money laundering from the country's superior court.

"I appear before you for my own responsibility. Review the last two years and tell me at what stage and what mistakes we made," he said, stating that the office had not assumed any case of tax evasion against companies, referring them to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) instead.

Iqbal said that when he assumed the position of president of the NAB in October 2017, he had asked for a list of all the cases discussed above, adding that he had already assured traders that tax evasion cases would be withdrawn.

However, the head of the NAB made it clear that there was a big difference between money laundering and tax evasion.

"If they [ongoing cases against business owners] He was only referring to tax evasion, they would not come to us from several courts, "he said while explaining why NAB was pursuing some business.

The president of the NAB assured the merchants that the next time they invite him, there will be no tax evasion cases with the office, adding that all those cases will be referred to the FBR.

In addition, he said that NAB had never interfered with bank default cases unless a bank has referred them to the authority, which he said happens when his settlement negotiations with the parties in a case are unsuccessful.

Panama cases

Regarding the Panama Papers cases, the NAB president said they remain active. However, in the case of certain cases, information and records from foreign countries had been received more quickly than others, therefore, they had accelerated.

Iqbal then resorted to a passionate call to defend NAB's actions, reminding his audience that each person was accountable to God and then to their own conscience.

"Do you think that after 35 years of judicial service, I would take whatever action is for anyone's pleasure?" she asked. He said his first loyalty went to God, and then to Pakistan and his people.

"If any of you think that NAB is affiliated with the current government, this is one hundred percent an incorrect impression."

Iqbal said that citizens never believed that "certain people," in what appeared to be a reference to the main political leaders currently involved in NAB cases, would be in NAB custody today, answering NAB's questions or facing the courts .

"NAB should receive the credit it deserves," he said.

Plea negotiation and approvers

Speaking about guilty pleas, the NAB president said: "Until I approve, there can be no guilty plea negotiation."

In addition, Iqbal said he decides when an individual can become an approver. He said the approvers come to Islamabad or he addresses them. First they are asked if there was any illegal force or incentive for them to become an approver, after which they verify if they were in their senses when they made the statement, which is then read to them.