ISLAMABAD - National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Monday under its ‘awareness and prevention regime’, sought details from the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports about the award of contract of laminate paper, final approval reports and bid criteria for the contract.
NAB has also barred the directorate for any further purchase under the contract with the advice to strictly follow the PPRA (Public Procurement Regulatory Authority) rules on any fresh international tendering.
NAB spokesman Zafar Iqbal Khan said that bureau had directed the Passport Office to provide record of its previous laminate paper contract including executive summary, technical and financial approval reports and bid criteria advising it to make no further purchases under this contract.
The NAB during the initial scrutiny had found that the management of the directorate working under the administrative control of director general of Directorate of Immigration and Passports did not properly follow PPRA rules while giving the ward of import of laminate paper to be used for the passports.
The NAB has also asked the directorate to rationalise the purpose and suitability of professionals required to visit the manufacturing site.
The NAB spokesman said that under ‘Awareness and Prevention Framework’, NAB had accelerated its efforts in its fight against corruption. Prevention of corruption, a neglected aspect of NAB anti-corruption endeavours, has been given priority under the present Chairman with a view to adopt a three pronged approach of awareness, prevention and enforcement to eliminate corruption from our society, giving priority to prevention.
Chairman NAB accordingly empowered the Awareness and Prevention Division; which remained in constant liaison with various agencies under federal and provincial set-ups especially the regulators for improvement in their existing framework to make them more effective, transparent and contributive to anti-corruption drive.