The NAB is set to initiate a nationwide campaign targeting fraudulent allocations of public land.

On Thursday, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed announced NAB’s intention to initiate a thorough nationwide campaign against fraudulent public land allotments, in collaboration with provincial governments.

He disclosed this at a ceremony conducted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Lahore to distribute Rs 3.20 billion to victims of the Eden Housing scam.

The cheque distribution ceremony at NAB Lahore was attended by NAB Chairman Lt. Gen. (R) Nazir Ahmad. The event was overseen by NAB DG Ghulam Safdar Shah.

The NAB chairman emphasised that the total claims lodged by 11,880 victims against the Eden administration totalled Rs 13 billion; however, NAB achieved a plea bargain of Rs 16 billion, surpassing the claimed amount by 23 percent, thus guaranteeing increased compensation for all affected parties.

He stated that NAB Lahore had, to date, recovered Rs 11.8 billion from Eden authorities, of which Rs 8.6 billion had already been distributed to the victims.

He stated, “With the initiation of the fifth tranche of Rs 3.2 billion, the bureau persists in its endeavours to recuperate the outstanding Rs 4.2 billion, for which the performance of NAB Lahore deserves acknowledgement and commendation.”

He additionally declared that henceforth, victims would not need to visit NAB offices to obtain their compensation; instead, payments would be directly deposited into their bank accounts via an efficient digital system.

The chairman commended NAB Lahore and the investigative teams for their decisive actions against illegal housing schemes, noting that since its inception, the bureau has attained record recoveries amounting to Rs 236 billion, with Rs 233 billion disbursed to around 94,000 affected individuals.

The chairman disclosed that, while delineating NAB’s extensive accountability agenda, comprehensive reforms in the Real Estate sector are presently being executed in conjunction with provincial governments.