ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lieutenant General Nazir Ahmed Butt (Retd) said on Monday that the bureau had completed preparatory work to launch investigations into matters relating to captive power plants (CPPs), with the results expected to emerge early next year.
“The NAB has taken notice of irregularities in the power sector and will initiate cases at the federal and provincial levels,” he said during a media briefing on the bureau’s recoveries during the first quarter of 2026.
He said the bureau had finalised preparations for initiating cases relating to CPPs, adding the results of the investigations were expected early next year.
Responding to a question about money laundering, he said some countries that lectured Pakistan on democracy had questionable records of their own. He alleged that these countries had granted undeclared amnesties in cases involving money laundering.
He said around 147,000 Pakistani children were studying at universities abroad, adding that relevant institutions in those countries were not responding to Pakistan’s requests for information.
Without naming any institution, he said three countries with large Pakistani populations were not cooperating with Pakistan.
“The countries where money laundering hubs exist have enacted stronger secrecy laws,” he said, adding that Pakistan generally followed international laws more strictly than necessary.
Butt said that NAB has attached properties of worth Rs 180 billion in connection with money laundering cases with the direction of the court.
To another question, he said that NAB was also conducting an investigation regarding matters related to the government but so far not released its details to the media.
The NAB chairman said that Interpol has issued red notices against Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz. “If Malik Riaz wants to return, he is welcome to come back and face the cases against him.”
He said the bureau has received 60 percent complaints regarding private businessmen, 18 percent against bureaucrats and only 4.5 per cent of complaints regarding politicians during the past.
The Chairman NAB said that action against irregularities in mines and minerals, as well as the Auqaf department, has also been included in the NAB’s future plan.
Amjad Aulakh, Director General (DG) NAB operations, briefed the media about the anti-graft recoveries in the third quarter of 2026. He said that NAB sustained initiatives have resulted into recoveries of Rs 9.2 trillion in the third quarter of 2026. The year 2026, so far, has witnessed an aggregate recovery of valuable state lands and other assets worth Rs 14.6 trillion, he said.
He said that the bureau has recovered land, measuring 235,622 Kanals (29,453 acres) worth Rs 6.78 trillion, of Pakistan Railways. Furthermore, NAB has recovered 866,299 acres land of provincial departments, including Forest, Revenue & Highways, valued at Rs 2.395 trillion. “This has marked a total recovery of State assets worth Rs 9.18 trillion in the third quarter of 2026,” he said.
DG operation said that NAB Sukkur has recovered 51.41 acres land of provincial revenue department worth Rs 1.14 billion and Pakistan Railways land measuring 179,072 kanals worth Rs 5.06 trillion located in the vicinity of prime urban areas of Karachi Division. NAB Balochistan further moved on the front of locating unmutated/ misappropriated lands of forest department and recovered 811,967 acres worth Rs 1.71 trillion, he said.
Aulakh said that NAB Multan recovered 43,028 acres of provincial revenue, forest and highway departments’ land worth Rs 102.97 billion and Pakistan Railways land measuring 49,426 kanals worth Rs 1.56 trillion. NAB Lahore has recovered highly valuable provincial state land measuring 4,380 acres worth Rs 563.07 billion and 7,124 kanals of Pakistan Railways land worth Rs 156.10 billion, he said.
He said that NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recovered Forest and Revenue Departments’ land measuring 6,872 acres worth Rs 16.16 billion NAB Islamabad and Rawalpindi and NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recovered Rs 2.22 billion in terms of plea bargain in cases of Bahria Town and Kohistan scandal.
He said the bureau has stepped into a transformation phase by adopting an AI based Investigation regime named as “NAB EYE” to minimize human discretion / error and expedite the processes. Further, in the instant quarter, Pakistan Anti-Corruption Academy (PACA) has imparted trainings through three Specialized Courses, one Capacity Building Course, one Workshop, one Learning Program and one Promotional Course.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026