The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has achieved a milestone by recovering $6 trillion by 2025. This impressive feat was made possible by recovering over $5 trillion worth of government land and assets that had gone missing, as well as revoking the leases of forests, Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR), and Golden Eagles Eleven.
Speaking at a media briefing, NAB officials revealed that the Kohistan Scandal has reached $40 billion, with over $26 billion being recovered and deposited into the national treasury. Deputy Chairman NAB, Sahil Naser, stated that the NAB reforms have restored confidence in the business community, parliamentarians, and bureaucracy, assuring that no one will be subjected to media trials, and those found guilty will face punishment, while those who file false complaints will also face consequences.
Sahil Naser emphasized that the NAB reforms have brought about transparency and improvement, making it easier to accuse someone without just cause. He added that the identities of complainants are kept confidential, and special procedures have been put in place for businesspeople, parliamentarians, and bureaucrats.
DG Operations NAB, Abdul Majid Ullah, stated that the sole purpose of the reforms was to eradicate media trials based on complaints, and to establish a separate facility for parliamentarians to lodge complaints, with the Speaker of the Assembly providing the first response. However, NAB is not bound by this response.
DG Operations further revealed that chambers have been set up for businesspeople to lodge complaints, and a special monitoring system has been introduced within NAB. According to NAB officials, the average number of complaints received in 2025 was 1,951 per month, with a notable decline in fake complaints.
Abdul Majid Ullah also announced that Pakistan has signed the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with several countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, China, Malaysia, Australia, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka, facilitating the sharing of information between accountability institutions.
Regarding the Kohistan Scandal, over $26 billion has been recovered and deposited into the national treasury, with the total scandal reaching $40 billion. The recovered funds were hidden under the names of drivers and dumpers and concealed in walls and paint containers.
NAB officials reported that over 10 million acres of land have been recovered in Balochistan, valued at over $1 trillion, while 811 billion rupees worth of land has been recovered in Punjab, and 58 billion rupees in Sindh. In the past year, NAB recovered over $180 billion, benefiting over 115,000 individuals, and is currently investigating 39 high-profile money laundering cases, with 127 billion rupees worth of properties linked to the cases.
In a separate development, the Judicial Commission has issued a notification regarding the judicial inquiry into the Glittering Plaza Karachi tragedy, specifying the scope and duration of the inquiry.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 3,730 cases of missing persons have been reported as of January 2026, with 2,760 cases being resolved, and 970 cases still under investigation.
