NAB seeks long-term partnership with SDPI for research-backed reforms: Gen Nazir

ISLAMABAD, Oct 06 (APP):Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lieutenant General (retd) Nazir Ahmed on Tuesday said the Bureau intends to build an enduring partnership with the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) to strengthen its policy and regulatory expertise and turn its reform gains into national development outcomes.

Speaking at the SDPI’s special guest lecture series forum, the NAB chairman said the Bureau was aiming to develop intellectual depth to carry out empirical analysis and to comment on regulations and laws of a technical nature, said a press release.

He said the Bureau was working on a decade-long roadmap and wanted SDPI to be a long-term partner in it.

He paid tribute to SDPI’s faculty and said NAB hoped to learn from the partnership. He also expressed interest in SDPI’s Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) and said NAB intended to host events with the institute on themes of mutual interest.

The NAB chairman said the Bureau now has a dedicated awareness and prevention division, along with a provision to review federal and provincial regulations, monitor them and propose changes where needed.

Lieutenant General (retd) Nazir said the Bureau had identified its own weaknesses and drawn up a reform plan, with the aim that both accused and complainants should have faith in fair and just proceedings.

The Bureau, he added, had also gone paperless and was preparing to deploy an indigenous AI-driven investigation model, “NAB-I”, to cut procedures from years to hours.

He said the Bureau had set up facilitation cells for parliamentarians and for businessmen, and had cut back on media briefings, holding press conferences only twice a year.

Lieutenant General (retd) Nazir said the Bureau intends to develop a research partnership with SDPI so that the Bureau’s achievements could be converted into benefits for national development, and to give society the message that “we are a power in the making.”

Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director SDPI welcomed the Chairman NAB’s proposal for an enduring and sustainable partnership with the Institute to guide the Bureau’s endeavours regarding policy analysis and critiquing of the technical national laws and regulations to improve accountability and development landscape of the country.

He also extended his invitation to the Chairman NAB to join the SDPI’s flagship 29th Sustainable Development Conference to be held from November 2-5 at the Allama Iqbal Open University and explore common themes to hold joint side events and sessions for mass awareness and education.