ISLAMABAD, Feb 27 (APP):The Senate was informed on Friday that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had recovered Rs11.56 trillion during the last five years through direct recoveries, plea bargains, voluntary returns, settlements and retrieval of state land.
Responding to a question raised by Senator Talha Mahmood, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said the total recoveries amounted to Rs11,565,257.62 million and were achieved through coordinated efforts of NAB with the support of federal and provincial governments.
The minister said large tracts of state land — including forest land — that had remained under illegal occupation for decades in various provinces, particularly Punjab and Sindh, were retrieved and handed over to the relevant provincial authorities.
He added that the recovered land was duly endorsed by the respective provincial departments.
Providing a year-wise breakdown, Tarar told the House that in 2021 NAB made direct recoveries of Rs16,953.79 million, along with Rs48.58 million through voluntary returns and Rs69,289.46 million under miscellaneous recoveries.
In 2022, direct recoveries stood at Rs3,927.19 million, while Rs10 million was recovered through voluntary return and Rs554.35 million under miscellaneous heads.
For the period from 2023 to 2025, NAB recovered Rs45,002.11 million directly, Rs50.22 million through voluntary return, Rs38,004.29 million through settlements, Rs10,982,000 million in state land recoveries, and Rs409,417.63 million under miscellaneous recoveries.
The law minister said NAB was an independent institution functioning under its own legal framework. He noted that significant amendments to accountability laws were introduced in June 2023 to enhance transparency and prevent misuse of the accountability process.
Tarar said the bureau’s recent focus had been on recovery of public money and minimising losses to the national exchequer.
He clarified that plea bargain and voluntary return mechanisms operated strictly under legal provisions and carried consequences, including disqualification from holding public office for a specified period.
The minister reiterated that the government did not interfere in NAB’s functioning, as the bureau operated under the National Accountability Bureau Act.