Business community stands shoulder to shoulder with armed forces in national defense: LCCI President
By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: Chairman, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lt. Gen (R) Nazir Ahmad, held an important visit to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), today. He was welcomed by President, LCCI Mian Abuzar Shad, along with the core committee members of LCCI, who provided him with a comprehensive briefing.
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During this high-profile visit, Chairman NAB was accompanied by Director General (DG) NAB Lahore, Muhammad Ahtram Dar, DG Operations NAB Amjad Majeed Aulakh, DG NAB Rawalpindi Waqar Ahmad Chauhan, DG NAB Multan Engr. Masood Alam Khan, along with other senior officials of NAB. The briefing session was also attended by LCCI Senior Vice President Engr. Khalid Usman, Vice President Shahid Chaudhry, executive committee members, and representatives from other Chambers across Punjab.
In his address to the business community, Chairman NAB remarked that upon assuming office two years ago, the situation was notably different. Concerns prevailed among the business community, bureaucracy, and political circles, as well. Keeping in view, NAB introduced several institutional reforms aimed at rebuilding trust, among the business community, bureaucratic sectors and others. All these efforts have yielded numerous substantial and positive outcomes. He further revealed that NAB has successfully recovered Rs5,400 billion—both directly and indirectly—over the past two years. Notably, there have been no complaints of character assassination or reputational damage by NAB during this period, while efforts to return billions to the national exchequer have continued unabated, said he.
Chairman NAB emphasized that NAB’s recent reforms have eliminated fear and mistrust from the hearts of entrepreneurs, fostering a more conducive and transparent environment for business growth in the country. He expressed his commitment to working collaboratively with all national institutions and stakeholders to strengthen Pakistan’s economy, noting that the Pakistani business community possesses immense potential to transform the national economy into a trillion-dollar enterprise.
Highlighting another key reform, he stated that the filing of frivolous and anonymous complaints has been effectively curtailed. During last year, NAB received approximately 18,000 complaints, of which 86% were found to be baseless. Under Section 18(h) of the NAB Ordinance, filing a false complaint can lead to a fine of up to Rs2 million and imprisonment for up to five years, he informed. To enhance citizen facilitation, NAB has introduced WhatsApp groups for direct communication with complainants. Furthermore, the Bureau is undergoing a comprehensive digital transformation to align its operations with modern-day requirements.
On this occasion, LCCI President, Mian Abuzar Shad acknowledged the unmatched sacrifices rendered by the Armed forces for the nation’s safety and sovereignty, he reaffirmed the full support of the business community to Defence forces and stressed their unwavering commitment to national defense. He further pledged LCCI’s complete cooperation with NAB in combating corruption.
The LCCI President expressed concern over the outflow of capital, revealing that within the past year alone, $10 billion had been transferred abroad and 4,200 companies were registered outside Pakistan, a trend that could potentially undermine national economic performance.
As part of the visit, Chairman NAB also inaugurated the NAB Business Facilitation Center at LCCI. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of a commemorative souvenir to Chairman NAB by the LCCI President.
