*ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ’s annual report for2017 was presented to President Mamnoon Hussain on Tuesday, containingoverall performance of the accountability watchdog during a period of 12months.*
Chairman NAB retired Justice Javed Iqbal presented the report to thepresident.
According to the report, as many as 107 people were removed from the ExitControl List (ECL) while 93 were placed on it on the recommendation of theNAB last year.
In 2017, 93 names were put on the ECL including 39 on the direction of NABKarachi, 27 on the recommendation of NAB Rawalpindi, 14 on the advice ofNAB Lahore, 10 on the direction of NAB Multan and three on therecommendation of NAB Balochistan chapter.
The report goes on to claim that the government was reluctant to place thenames of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family on the ECL.
The report details that NAB had asked to place former the name of primeminister Nawaz Sharif, his children Maryam Nawaz, Hassan Nawaz, HussainNawaz and his son-in-law retired Capt Safdar on the ECL, but the governmentdidn’t take any action in this regard.
Some high-profile names were also placed on the ECL in corruption casesincluding leasing out Pakistan Railways-owned land at nominal rates to theRoyal Palm Golf and Country Club.
While appreciating the annual report, the president emphasized thatcorruption could be only eliminated from the society if all therequirements of justice were fulfilled.
He directed that reservations of the courts and public against NAB shouldbe addressed.
The president also underlined that the ongoing development process shouldnot be affected by the steps taken by the accountability institutions andthe officers.