NAB recovers Rs2.45tr worth of state assets in second quarter of 2026

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has claimed recovery of state assets worth Rs2.45 trillion during the second quarter of 2026, describing it as a “leap into AI-powered anti-corruption accountability”.</p> <p>According to the NAB spokesman, the bureau’s drive against corruption and efforts to recover state assets during the second quarter of 2026 continued with renewed vigour and yielded significant outcomes.</p> <p>The most notable achievement was the recovery of more than 1,078,283 acres of state land in Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).</p> <p>The total value of direct and indirect recoveries during the second quarter surged to Rs2.45 trillion, taking NAB’s recovery tally for the first six months of 2026 to Rs5.41tr — the highest-ever six-month recovery figure.</p> <p>NAB Sukkur recorded the highest recovery figures. In collaboration with the Sindh Board of Revenue and the forests secretary, the anti-graft body recovered 853,678 acres of land worth Rs1.01tr belonging to the National Highway Authority and the forests and irrigation departments.</p> <p>Meanwhile, NAB Balochistan recovered 209,544 acres of forest land, including prime natural reserves such as Hingol National Park along the coastal highway, as well as land belonging to the Gwadar Industrial Estate Development Authority (GIEDA), with a combined value of Rs604.64 billion.</p> <p>NAB Karachi also retrieved 11,422 acres of allegedly illegally allotted state land and questioned leases granted to housing societies and individuals, with a reported value of Rs467.11bn. NAB Lahore recovered 1,909 acres of land worth Rs288.29bn related to the Punjab Cooperative Board for Liquidation and state land.</p> <p>Meanwhile, NAB Islamabad and Rawalpindi recovered 810 acres of land worth Rs66.63bn linked to amenity plots of the Capital Development Authority in different housing societies.</p> <p>NAB Multan recovered state land measuring 920 acres worth Rs2.76bn.</p> <p>In cases related to housing and financial fraud, more than 24,365 affected people were compensated through the return of their money and assets amounting to Rs42.30bn, the bureau said.</p> <p>The spokesperson said the recoveries reflected the bureau’s sustained drive against corruption, with an astounding recovery of Rs16.94tr from March 2023 to June 2026.</p> <p>Additionally, NAB has fully transitioned to the E-Office system through paperless and automated processes.</p> <p>The spokesperson said the bureau was undergoing a revolutionary transformation, shifting towards an AI-based E-Investigation regime that would use machine learning to detect patterns, prioritise high-risk cases and expedite investigations.</p> <p>He added that the AI-based investigation mechanism would minimise human discretion by enabling AI-based analysis of oral and documentary evidence, leading to evidence-based and tamper-proof investigations.</p> <p>Furthermore, to meet the training needs of its workforce, the Pakistan Anti-Corruption Academy (PACA) has been fully operationalised as a centre of excellence.</p> <p>In February, NAB claimed to have <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1970957">made recoveries</a> of Rs6.2tr amid sweeping digital and fiscal reforms that took centre stage in the bureau’s annual report for the year 2025.</p> <p>Deputy Chairman Sohail Nasir said the anti-graft watchdog achieved a record-breaking recovery of Rs6.21tr, the highest annual figure since the Bureau’s inception in 1999.</p> <p>The recoveries were made in the form of retrieval of encroached state and other organisations’ lands and cash, including the reclamation of 2.98 million acres of encroached state and forest land, valued at approximately Rs5.98tr.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.