NAB repays affectees cheated in one of Pakistan's biggest financial scams

ISLAMABAD: In a positive development, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has said that it started repaying thousands of victims cheated in one of Pakistan’s largest financial scams, marking what it described as a milestone recovery effort.

According to an official statement issued by the anti-corruption crusader on Thursday, the NAB Rawalpindi chapter has started disbursing Rs3.7 billion among 17,500 victims of a company-run Ponzi scheme, which lured investors with promises of a 7% monthly return.

The payout was launched at a ceremony at NAB headquarters in Islamabad, presided over by chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed.

The corruption watchdog said that of the 17,500 victims, 10,000 have received their full amounts, while the remaining 7,500 are being repaid 40% of their dues in this phase. The balance will be cleared within six months once properties seized from the accused are liquidated.

The scam, orchestrated by Saif-ur-Rehman and his associates, was investigated by NAB after hundreds of complaints were lodged with the bureau and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

Investigators traced and froze 56 bank accounts, along with properties and other assets belonging to the culprits, while also verifying claims through digital records.

Addressing the ceremony, the NAB chairman said the bureau remained committed to pursuing cases involving the wider public and ensuring stolen funds were swiftly returned.

He urged citizens to exercise caution before investing in schemes and to verify legitimacy to avoid exploitation.

The chairman lauded the NAB Rawalpindi/Islamabad team for their efforts and announced an Umrah package as recognition of their work.

He also said that, going forward, compensation will be directly deposited into victims’ bank accounts, eliminating the need to physically visit NAB offices.

NAB emphasised that the initiative reflects its determination to safeguard public interests, recover looted wealth, and rebuild trust. Many beneficiaries present at the event expressed gratitude, saying they had lost hope of retrieving their savings until NAB’s intervention.