NAB recovers state assets worth Rs9.2 trillion in third quarter, targets power sector irregularities
Abdullah Jan
Islamabad: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has stepped up its drive to reclaim illegally occupied public assets, recovering Pakistan Railways land valued at Rs6.78 trillion and contributing to a record Rs9.2 trillion in state asset recoveries during the third quarter of 2026, in a major push to safeguard national wealth and strengthen public-sector accountability.
The latest recovery drive has brought the aggregate value of state assets and other recoveries secured by the anti-corruption watchdog to Rs14.6 trillion during the first nine months of 2026, reflecting an intensified focus on retrieving public property, protecting government resources and improving transparency in the management of state-owned assets.
The bureau has also signalled an expansion of its accountability efforts into the power sector, with plans to scrutinise captive power plants, examine electricity pricing practices and pursue recoveries in cases involving alleged financial irregularities. The initiative is expected to form a key component of NAB’s broader efforts to strengthen financial discipline and promote transparency in sectors with significant implications for the national economy.
NAB Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed Butt announced the developments during a press briefing at the bureau’s headquarters on Monday, following a detailed presentation by Director General (Operations) Amjad Majeed Aulakh on the institution’s performance during the third quarter.
Highlighting the recovery of Pakistan Railways land as a major achievement, the chairman said the Rs6.78 trillion valuation represented the price of the recovered land alone, while the infrastructure and other assets developed on these properties carried additional value.
He described the recovery as a landmark step towards restoring valuable public resources to their rightful owner, emphasising that the reclaimed land could significantly strengthen Pakistan Railways’ financial and commercial prospects.
“The recovery in the Pakistan Railways case is just the price of the land, while assets built on it have their own worth,” the NAB chairman said.
He added that the value of the recovered assets was substantial enough to provide a major financial cushion for the state-owned railway operator and support ambitious infrastructure development.
According to the chairman, the estimated Rs1.5 trillion cost of the proposed Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project could be met from the value of the recovered assets, underscoring the economic significance of protecting public land from illegal occupation and unauthorised use.
“We have handed over assets worth over Rs6.5 trillion to Pakistan Railways,” he said, adding that the recovered resources could also provide a foundation for developing circular railway systems in cities across the country.
The achievement highlights the potential economic benefits of recovering public land, which can be put to productive use, commercially developed or leveraged to support infrastructure investment, subject to applicable legal and financial procedures.
Pakistan Railways Secretary Syed Mazhar Ali Shah acknowledged the scale of the recovery effort, saying the department had faced considerable difficulties in managing its extensive land records and establishing clear ownership of properties.
He said the progress achieved through NAB’s intervention had exceeded his expectations, adding that the railway administration had intended to commercialise its land but discovered that several properties had either been encroached upon or lacked properly established ownership in the name of the state-owned organisation.
The recovery initiative has therefore helped address a longstanding challenge confronting Pakistan Railways: the protection, documentation and productive utilisation of its valuable landholdings.
To strengthen coordination and accelerate the identification and restoration of railway properties, six joint task forces comprising officials from NAB and Pakistan Railways have been established at the regional level.
The coordinated mechanism has enabled the authorities to identify valuable land parcels, examine ownership records and facilitate the restoration of properties to the railway administration.
NAB’s recovery drive has extended beyond Pakistan Railways to cover land belonging to provincial departments, including forest, revenue and highways authorities.
According to the bureau’s presentation, 866,299 acres of provincial government land, valued at approximately Rs2.4 trillion, were recovered during the reporting period. Combined with the railway land recoveries, the value of state assets retrieved during the third quarter reached Rs9.18 trillion, rounded to Rs9.2 trillion.
The bureau said the third-quarter recovery figure represented a 169 per cent increase over the combined Rs5.41 trillion recovered during the first two quarters of 2026.
The regional breakdown reflected the scale and geographical spread of the operation, with NAB offices working to recover public land in major urban centres and other areas where government properties had been illegally occupied, misappropriated or inadequately documented.
NAB Sukkur reported the recovery of 51.41 acres of provincial revenue department land valued at Rs1.14 billion, alongside 179,072 kanals of Pakistan Railways land worth Rs5.06 trillion in prime areas within Karachi Division.
NAB Balochistan made a significant contribution by identifying and recovering forest department land whose ownership records had not been properly updated or which had allegedly been misappropriated. The recovered land measured 811,967 acres and was valued at Rs1.71 trillion.
NAB Multan recovered 43,028 acres of land belonging to provincial revenue, forest and highway departments, with an estimated value of Rs102.97 billion. It also recovered 49,426 kanals of Pakistan Railways land valued at Rs1.56 trillion.
In Punjab, NAB Lahore recovered 4,380 acres of valuable provincial government land worth Rs563.07 billion, in addition to 7,124 kanals of Pakistan Railways land valued at Rs156.10 billion.
NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reported the recovery of 6,872 acres of forest and revenue department land worth Rs16.16 billion.
The figures underscore the importance of coordinated action between accountability authorities and government departments in identifying state properties, verifying ownership and preventing the continued loss of public assets through encroachments and weaknesses in land administration.
Power sector accountability moves into focus
Alongside the recovery of land and other public assets, NAB is preparing to intensify scrutiny of the power sector, particularly captive power plants and electricity pricing practices.
DG Operations Amjad Majeed Aulakh said the bureau’s principal areas of focus included the recovery of state assets, action in cases involving cheating of the public at large and efforts to prevent money laundering.
He said work had begun on power sector reforms, with NAB examining cases in which the state may have suffered financial losses and assessing the scope for recovering public money.
The proposed exercise will include efforts to establish the actual cost and applicable rates of electricity and identify cases in which consumers or the state may have been subjected to overcharging or other financial irregularities.
The NAB chairman said preparatory work had been completed and that the results of the initiative would begin to become visible at the beginning of 2027.
“I promise that we will definitely take up the IPPs and power sector. We have completed our homework, and results will start becoming visible at the beginning of next year,” he said.
The initiative signals a broader accountability agenda extending beyond the recovery of land to the examination of financial arrangements and practices in strategically important sectors. Its eventual impact will depend on the findings of the scrutiny, the evidence established in individual cases and the recovery measures pursued in accordance with the law.
Forensic scrutiny of trust properties and minerals sector
NAB has also initiated a forensic audit of properties managed by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), in collaboration with the board, to strengthen oversight of valuable properties under its administration.
The examination is intended to support greater transparency in property management and help identify discrepancies or irregularities requiring further action.
The bureau has additionally identified the mines and minerals sector as another priority area for promoting transparency, accountability and good governance.
Given the economic value of natural resources and the importance of proper management of public-sector interests, the initiative is part of NAB’s wider effort to protect state assets and improve institutional oversight.
Relief for victims and institutional modernisation
Alongside its recovery operations, NAB has continued efforts to provide financial relief to people affected by various cases.
During the third quarter of 2026, the bureau disbursed Rs908.42 million to 4,280 affectees through direct deposits into their bank accounts.
The disbursements represent an important public-facing dimension of the accountability process, aimed at returning recovered funds to those entitled to receive them.
The bureau also signed two memoranda of understanding with other state institutions to strengthen coordination and build institutional capacity. Further agreements, including potential cooperation with foreign counterparts, are in the pipeline.
In a move towards modernising its investigative processes, NAB has entered a transformation phase with the adoption of an artificial intelligence-based investigation system called “NAB Eye”.
According to the bureau, the system is intended to minimise human discretion and the possibility of error while accelerating investigative procedures. Its effectiveness will ultimately be measured by improvements in efficiency, consistency and the quality of investigations.
The Pakistan Anti-Corruption Academy also continued its capacity-building activities during the quarter, delivering three specialised courses alongside a capacity-building course, a workshop, a learning programme and a promotional course.
These initiatives are aimed at strengthening the professional capabilities of personnel and supporting the implementation of the country’s anti-corruption framework.
NAB said its cumulative recoveries had reached Rs26.1 trillion between March 2023 and September 2026, reflecting the scale of its ongoing efforts to recover public assets and address financial wrongdoing.
The latest figures place the restoration of state land at the centre of the bureau’s performance during the third quarter, while the planned scrutiny of the power sector, forensic examination of trust properties and focus on mines and minerals indicate an expansion into other areas of public financial management.
The recovery of Pakistan Railways land is particularly significant because of the potential to restore valuable property to public use and improve the commercial position of a major state-owned transport organisation.
The next challenge for NAB will be to translate recovered assets into lasting public benefits through effective protection, transparent management and productive utilisation, while ensuring that investigations and recovery proceedings are conducted in accordance with the law.