Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday praised the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) transition toward a technology-based investigative system, describing it as a major step toward transparency, efficiency and effective accountability.
The remarks came during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House, where NAB Chairman Nazir Ahmed presented the bureau’s Annual Report for 2025. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was also present at the meeting.
Reviewing NAB’s overall performance, the prime minister appreciated the integration of modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, to strengthen accountability mechanisms while ensuring cost efficiency and transparency. He also commended the implementation of the e-Office framework at NAB, terming it aligned with the government’s broader reform agenda and vision for transparent governance.
Shehbaz Sharif further lauded the bureau’s focus on public service delivery and the timely resolution of complaints, reiterating the government’s commitment to supporting NAB’s professional autonomy and its mandate to safeguard national resources.
Briefing the meeting, the NAB chairman said the bureau recovered a record Rs 6.213 trillion during the past year, the highest recovery figure in its history. He added that 2.98 million acres of state and forest land, with an estimated value of Rs 5.99 trillion, had been reclaimed.
The chairman also informed the meeting that Rs 180 billion had been returned to 115,587 victims of fake and fraudulent housing and investment schemes, a move he said helped restore public confidence in the accountability process. Initiatives such as Khuli Kacheri (open court) and the Central Complaint Cell, he added, had significantly reduced the gap between the state and citizens, reshaping NAB into an institution focused on grievance redressal rather than fear.
Officials said the reforms formed part of a broader strategy to further strengthen the accountability system and enhance public trust, adding that such measures would continue in the future. — LORD
