ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry was informed on Wednesday that the NAB’s Rawalpindi region could not take action in cases against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif because they had obtained stay orders.

During his annual visit to the NAB Rawalpindi Regional Headquarters, Mr Chaudhry was told that the Sharif brothers had again taken a fresh stay order from the Lahore High Court.

A source told Dawn that the Sharif brothers had taken advantage of stay orders since their cases were reopened in 2007 when the Supreme Court allowed Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan from exile.

Three corruption references and at least six inquiries have been pending with NAB and accountability courts against the Sharif brothers and other members of their family.

The source said the NAB Rawalpindi had entertained more than 90 per cent of major corruption cases.

The NAB chief was informed that out of more than two dozen major corruption cases, only two or three were pending.

The meeting also discussed cases related to former president Asif Ali Zardari, Rental Power Projects, Modaraba, Oil and Gas Regulatory Au­­th­ority, Employees Oldage Bene­­­fits Institution, Railways, banking, land scams in housing societies, the Defence Housing Authority and Capital Builders.

The NAB spokesman said Mr Chaudhry praised the Rawalpindi region for its contribution to the overall performance of the bureau.

The NAB Rawalpindi recei­­­ved 7,002 complaints last year. Out of 333 complaints, verification of 288 was completed. Out of 229 inquiries, 128 were completed and out of 96 investigations, 52 were completed.

The NAB Rawalpindi arre­s­­ted 69 people on corruption charges and filed 48 references. The conviction rate was 78pc and the amount re­­co­vered stood at Rs1.44 billion.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2016