Pakistan’s accountability watchdog has called for a major change in the rules governing corruption investigations, urging the government to remove the Rs500 million threshold that currently limits the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) ability to pursue cases.
NAB Chairman retired Lt Gen Nazir Ahmed raised the issue during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice. He argued that the existing restriction has significantly reduced the bureau’s authority and could encourage public officials to engage in corruption below the prescribed limit.
Under amendments to the NAB law, the bureau generally cannot investigate corruption cases involving amounts of less than Rs500 million. As a result, a number of cases that were previously handled by NAB have been transferred to other government agencies, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Ahmed expressed concern that the restrictions have become so extensive that, in some circumstances, a local police station house officer may have greater investigative powers than a NAB officer. He stressed that the bureau needs greater authority if it is expected to effectively combat corruption.
Debate Over Political Accountability
The meeting also highlighted the limits placed on NAB when dealing with decisions made by federal and provincial cabinets and their committees.
NAB’s prosecutor general explained the relevant provisions of the amended law to the committee. Committee Chairman Senator Farooq Naek clarified, however, that although NAB cannot directly challenge cabinet or committee decisions, individuals can still be investigated if they violate those decisions or become involved in corrupt practices.
Senator Naek referred to the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project as an example of the type of large-scale case that should attract serious scrutiny. He noted that around Rs513 billion had already been spent on the project and raised concerns over its design, which he said had been prepared by the National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak).
He also pointed to concerns surrounding corruption in road construction and questioned whether major public projects were receiving adequate accountability.
NAB Says Corruption Goes Beyond Politicians
One of the most significant claims made during the meeting concerned the distribution of corruption across different sectors.
According to NAB Chairman Nazir Ahmed, public discussion often concentrates heavily on corruption allegations involving politicians because such cases receive greater media attention. He said politicians represent only around 6% of the country’s overall corruption, while government officials account for approximately 11%.
In contrast, Ahmed claimed that the private sector contributes more than 45% of total corruption. He specifically referred to powerful interests in the sugar industry, commonly described as the “sugar mafia.”
His comments suggest that Pakistan’s accountability debate may need to move beyond its traditional emphasis on political figures and examine corruption involving businesses, contractors and other private-sector actors.
Calls to Expand NAB’s Powers
Senator Kamran Murtaza supported the idea of removing the Rs500 million limit and argued that the restriction should also be eliminated when cases involve politicians.
The discussion reflects a wider question about how Pakistan should structure its accountability system. While the government has previously sought to restrict NAB’s involvement in lower-value cases, critics argue that corruption should not be judged solely by the amount of money involved.
A series of smaller corrupt transactions could potentially cause significant losses to the public exchequer when repeated across departments and institutions. Supporters of broader NAB powers therefore believe that the bureau should have the ability to investigate suspicious cases regardless of whether they cross a specific financial threshold.
Questions Over FBR and the Petroleum Sector
The committee also questioned NAB about why action is not taken against officials working for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Ahmed responded that FBR does not fall under NAB’s jurisdiction, highlighting another limitation on the bureau’s investigative reach.
Senator Abdul Qadir meanwhile called for greater scrutiny of Pakistan’s petroleum sector. He raised concerns about oil and gas exploration wells that have reportedly been drilled over the past two decades without producing commercially useful results.
According to the senator, investigating such projects could potentially uncover wrongdoing and, if the sector were managed more effectively, deliver substantial benefits to the public through increased domestic energy production and lower oil and gas costs.
A Bigger Accountability Challenge
The Senate committee meeting has brought renewed attention to the question of whether Pakistan’s current accountability framework is effective.
Removing the Rs500 million threshold could give NAB greater freedom to investigate corruption allegations involving smaller amounts. However, the broader challenge is ensuring that accountability institutions operate consistently, transparently and without selective political targeting.
The debate also demonstrates that corruption is not confined to politics. Government departments, businesses, contractors and major development projects can all be areas where public money is vulnerable to misuse.
For Pakistan, the real test will be whether accountability mechanisms can focus on all forms of corruption—large and small, political and commercial while maintaining due process and avoiding political victimization. If NAB’s proposed changes are seriously considered, they could become an important part of a wider discussion about strengthening the country’s fight against corruption.