ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lieutenant General (retd) Nazir Ahmed has urged Bahria Town founder Malik Riaz to face court proceedings before resuming business, while announcing further action against people allegedly benefiting from unlawfully occupied public land.
Speaking informally to journalists in Islamabad, Ahmed alleged that Riaz had made mistakes and should resolve his legal matters through the courts. He said the bureau would identify beneficiaries of disputed land dealings at an upcoming press briefing.
Ahmed described NAB’s cooperation with Pakistan Railways as a major achievement, saying the department’s assistance had been essential to recovering occupied land.
He said further recoveries were expected during the operation’s second phase. Cases would be prepared against alleged occupiers, and their names would be disclosed.
According to the chairman, the assessed value of recovered land excludes buildings constructed on it. He also anticipated substantial recoveries involving evacuee properties and claimed recovery figures exceeded the Public Sector Development Programme allocation, without providing a detailed comparison.
The NAB chairman said Pakistan could use available financial assets to generate resources for development, including the Main Line-One railway project and circular railway schemes.
He argued that better utilisation of domestic assets could help finance infrastructure while Pakistan continued borrowing from international lenders, including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Ahmed said 37 NAB teams were working continuously. Once their current assignments were completed, teams would move to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Operations were also planned in Rawalpindi.
Ahmed said cooperation with the Capital Development Authority had helped resolve a hotel matter pending for 22 years. He indicated that the first construction phase would begin by June 15 next year.
Discussing the power sector, he said results from NAB’s work should become visible during the first quarter of next year. He added that action against lower-ranking subdivision officers was not the immediate priority.
The chairman also said headquarters maintained cloud-based and duplicate revenue records.
Overseas Education Payments Draw Scrutiny
Ahmed raised concerns about parents financing overseas education despite allegedly paying no taxes. He cited approximately 147,000 Pakistani students studying abroad and discussed efforts to obtain parental information through educational institutions.
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His remarks outlined an accountability agenda spanning land recovery, infrastructure assets and financial scrutiny. Allegations concerning individuals remain subject to legal proceedings, and the supplied report included no response from Riaz.
