ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Friday that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recovered Rs11.56 trillion during the past five years through direct recoveries, plea bargains, voluntary returns, settlements and retrieval of state land.
Responding to a question from Senator Talha Mahmood, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said the total recoveries amounted to Rs11,565,257.62 million. He told the House that the amounts were secured through coordinated efforts by NAB with the support of federal and provincial authorities.
The minister said large areas of state land, including forest land under illegal occupation for decades in provinces such as Punjab and Sindh, had been retrieved and handed back to the relevant provincial departments. He added that the recovered land was formally endorsed by the concerned authorities.
Year-wise recovery details
According to the breakdown shared in the Senate, NAB made direct recoveries of Rs16,953.79 million in 2021, along with Rs48.58 million through voluntary returns and Rs69,289.46 million under miscellaneous recoveries.
In 2022, direct recoveries were recorded at Rs3,927.19 million. An additional Rs10 million was recovered through voluntary returns and Rs554.35 million under miscellaneous heads.
For the period from 2023 to 2025, the bureau recovered Rs45,002.11 million directly, Rs50.22 million through voluntary returns, and Rs38,004.29 million through settlements. During the same period, Rs10,982,000 million worth of state land was recovered, along with Rs409,417.63 million under miscellaneous recoveries.
Legal framework and oversight
Tarar told lawmakers that NAB functions as an independent institution under its own legal framework, the National Accountability Bureau Act. He noted that amendments to accountability laws were introduced in June 2023 to improve transparency and reduce the possibility of misuse.
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The minister said the bureau’s recent focus has been on recovering public funds and minimising losses to the national exchequer. He also clarified that plea bargain and voluntary return mechanisms operate within legal provisions and include consequences such as disqualification from holding public office for a specified period.
He reiterated that the government does not interfere in NAB’s operations.
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