Summary Fasih Bukhari vowed not to step down saying he would continue tirade against corruption.
Addressing a press conference at NAB Headquarter Bukhari said that he would not be resigning as NAB chairman until some any authority expels him.
Terming corruption as the biggest problem the country facing today, Bukhari said he was appointed to eliminate corruption from the country and he would perform his duty for this purpose.
He said corruption getting roots in every department of the country and to eliminate this curse, solid steps should be taken.
Former Naval chief said that he had been criticized by some political parties and was accused in corruption by those elements added that he would stand against dishonesty.
He said regularity authority has failed to control the corruption added that only Rs 250 billions have been recovered by NAB in last 12 years.
He said it was hard to find evidences against ‘white collar crimes’.
Admiral (R) Fasih Bukhari said that since March 2012, under the Prevention Initiative 173 projects of federal and provincial level were put to scrutiny by NAB carrying financial impact for Rs. 1475 billions.
He said that the projects and corresponding amounts in billion of rupees prevented from corruption are at Federal level 14 projects (Rs. 1426 Billion), Sindh 55 projects (Rs. 26.3 Billion), Punjab 73 projects (Rs. 11.2 Billion), Balochistan 12 Rs. 9.6 Billion), KpK 14 projects (Rs. 1 Billion), and Rawalpindi 5 projects (Rs. 1 Billion).
The nature of NAB diligence covered pre-procurement, ongoing projects, and post-procurement misdemeanors projects / NAB work has been varying from corrective advice, procedural review, and annulment.
It covered matters ab initio wherein gross violations of PPRA Rules or departmental rules / procedures were observed. Representative projects pertaining to WAPDA, Capital Development Authority (CDA), and Port Qasim Authority (PQA) are reflected. For example WAPDA in Neelum Jhelum Project increased cost from PC-I value for Rs. 84 billion to Rs. 321 billion. WAPDA incurred Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) Rules violations in award of contract to Chinese firm regarding procurement of Thrust Boring Machines (TBMs) alone costing Rs. 19.5 billion. Moreover, presently, the fate of the project jeopardized due to reported absence of insurance cover to the TBMs. Other classic example of PPRA Rules and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Rules violations is revealed in the LED Project by CDA.
This project for about Rs. 8 billions is instructed for annulment including others. Port Qasim Authority (PQA) and KPT have also been engaged to restrict from entering into corrupt zone on similar issues of dredging operation, 75 ton Bollard Pull Tug procurement, and allotment of plots. Substantial corrections, revisions of draft contracts and compliance to rules have been exercised by various departments including National Highway Authority (NHA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Universal Service Fund Company (USFCo), SNGPL, and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and others.
In his introductory remarks the Chairman explained the new strategy and re-prioritization in his anti-corruption efforts wherein the Prevention Regime has been given top priority in order to ensure prevention of corruption in parallel with enforcement practices. In the past NAB concentrated on criminalities, victimizations, and cognizance of mis-procurements already done. This approach has been replaced with the more comprehensive, robust anti corruption regime based on prevention, awareness and enforcement.
In this context the Chairman claimed major successes in preventing corruption at mega level across the board and without discrimination or victimization. DG A&P NAB thereafter gave a detailed presentation on the achievements of NAB under the prevention regime.
Awareness and Prevention Policy Framework was established after hectic deliberations and brainstorming sessions. Prevention Committees are launched to look into the issues more professionally from the functional like engineering, health, education, etc. and institutional like regulators and others perspectives. Regulators have been engaged separately to scrutinize the structural and resource mechanism of the organizations related to specific regulator to find its fitness against prevalent challenges and finding remedial solutions to make it more robust, effective, transparent and contributive to anti-corruption.
Additionally synergy is attained in aligning the objectives and actions along with regulators, NGOs, press, and civil society. Awareness Framework launched for character building of future generation through change in curriculum and activities involving students at school, college and university level by forming character building societies with the patronage of NAB, Education Department and Higher Education chapters at provincial level.
The societies of reputable persons on similar lines in coordination with Provincial and District Govts are being formed at Distt, Tehsil and UC level.
Most importantly it is highlighted that
At the conclusion of press conference, the Chairman solicited support of all organizations, media, civic society, and judiciary at all levels in his endeavours.
