ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has reported a record-breaking recovery of over 1.1 trillion rupees for the third quarter of the year, significantly boosting national revenue.
The anti-corruption watchdog stated that this recent recovery is 242 percent higher than the previous quarter. The total amount recovered in the first three quarters of the year has now reached 5.16 trillion rupees.
These efforts have directly benefited 17,194 victims of what NAB terms “public fraud.”
The recoveries included a wide range of state assets. NAB Karachi retrieved two valuable plots worth 2.8 billion rupees in the Karachi Port Trust case. In Sukkur, 361 acres of land belonging to the National Highway Authority, valued at 2.5 billion rupees, were recovered.
A major part of the recovery was 1.39 million acres of precious mangrove forest land, valued at approximately Rs. 1,105 billion. The total value of recovered forest land has now reached a staggering Rs. 9.25 trillion. NAB Balochistan contributed to this by recovering 414,036 acres of forest land.
Furthermore, NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa retrieved illegally allotted state land worth 3.2 billion rupees and returned it to the Ministry of Industries and Production.
In a move to assist victims more efficiently, NAB also initiated online payments, disbursing funds to 5,008 individuals affected by the B4U case.
NAB Balochistan in a major crackdown on land grabbers, NAB conducted the campaign in close coordination with the Board of Revenue and local Deputy Commissioners. The retrieved land, seized from illegal occupants, has now been formally handed over to the Balochistan Forest Department for management and protection.
To ensure a lasting solution and address root causes, the provincial government has established Forest Settlement Boards in every district and Forest Tribunals at the divisional level.
A senior NAB officer stated that these new institutions are designed to resolve future land disputes fairly and transparently. “These institutions will help resolve disputes related to land ownership and usage in a fair and transparent manner, while safeguarding community rights,” the officer added.
