Six-month recoveries reach record Rs5.41 trillion as anti-corruption watchdog intensifies asset recovery drive.
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday said it recovered Rs2.452 trillion and more than 1.07 million acres of state land during the second quarter of 2026, taking its total recoveries for the first half of the year to a record Rs5.414 trillion.
According to an official statement, the bureau’s anti-corruption campaign gained further momentum during the April-June 2026 period, with major recoveries of state land in Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
NAB said the combined value of direct and indirect recoveries in the second quarter reached Rs2.452 trillion, while cumulative recoveries during the first six months of 2026 climbed to Rs5.414 trillion, describing it as the highest-ever six-month recovery figure achieved by the institution.
Among regional offices, NAB Sukkur recorded the largest recovery. Working with the Sindh Board of Revenue and the provincial Forest Department, the bureau recovered 853,678 acres of National Highway Authority (NHA), forest and irrigation department land worth approximately Rs1.01 trillion, which has been transferred to the Sindh government.
NAB Balochistan recovered 209,544 acres of forest land, including parts of the Hingol National Park and land belonging to the Gwadar Industrial Estate Development Authority (GIEDA), valued at Rs604.64 billion.
Meanwhile, NAB Karachi recovered 11,422 acres of illegally allotted state land and disputed leases involving housing societies and private individuals, with an estimated value of Rs467.11 billion.
NAB Lahore retrieved 1,909 acres of Pakistan Cotton Board Limited (PCBL) and other state land worth Rs288.29 billion, while NAB Islamabad/Rawalpindi recovered 810 acres of CDA amenity plots in various housing societies valued at Rs66.63 billion.
In Multan, the bureau recovered 920 acres of state land worth Rs2.76 billion.
Apart from land recoveries, NAB said it compensated more than 24,365 victims of housing and financial fraud by returning looted money and assets worth Rs42.303 billion.
The bureau also highlighted institutional reforms, stating that it has fully transitioned to a paperless E-Office system and is moving towards an AI-based e-investigation regime that will use machine learning to identify high-risk cases, analyse documentary and oral evidence, and reduce human discretion during investigations.
Additionally, the Pakistan Anti-Corruption Academy (PACA) has been made fully operational to strengthen the training and capacity building of NAB officers.
According to the bureau, cumulative recoveries from March 2023 to June 2026 have reached Rs16.938 trillion, reflecting its continued anti-corruption efforts and asset recovery campaign.