NAB Recovers Assets Worth Rs241 Billion in Two Months
NAB recovers Rs241 billion in national assets over two months, ProPakistani reported, citing an announcement by the bureau on Tuesday.
NAB Islamabad and Rawalpindi carried out the work through three separate initiatives. The cases involved railway land, mining rights in Gilgit-Baltistan and public amenity land in the federal capital.
The bureau described the figure as an indirect recovery and protection of public wealth, rather than cash deposited in the national treasury. The distinction matters, because most of the value sits in land and mineral rights that have now been secured for the state.
Railway land worth Rs118 billion secured
The largest single item was Pakistan Railways land. NAB said it helped secure and record the mutation of nearly 4,000 kanals of railway land in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal and Murree.
The land carries an estimated value of Rs118 billion. Mutation is the official change of ownership in revenue records, and it is the step that stops the land from being sold or claimed by private parties.
Railway land has been a steady target for encroachment across the country. A parliamentary committee was told this week that 951.28 acres of railway land were under illegal occupation by private parties and another 307 acres by government departments, out of a total of 19,594 acres. Karachi division alone accounts for 1,258 acres of encroached railway land. NAB’s action covers a separate set of plots in the twin cities and northern Punjab.
Mining lease dispute settled in Gilgit-Baltistan
The second initiative settled a long-running dispute over the Pozzolan mining lease in the Gini area of Gilgit-Baltistan. NAB said it helped resolve the dispute so the provincial government could set aside the old lease and grant a fresh one to WAPDA and the Diamer-Bhasha Dam Company (DBDC).
The settlement secured access to about 27.4 million tonnes of Pozzolan deposits. The deposits carry an estimated value of Rs123 billion.
Pozzolan is a volcanic ash material used in cement and concrete. It matters here because the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, one of Pakistan’s largest hydropower projects, needs huge volumes of construction material. Securing a local supply close to the project site cuts transport costs and removes a legal obstacle that had held up extraction.
Amenity land handed over to the CDA
The third initiative involved amenity land in Islamabad. NAB helped transfer 272.3 kanals of amenity land to the Capital Development Authority (CDA), the civic body that manages the federal capital.
The land has an estimated market value of Rs408.45 million. Amenity plots are reserved for public use, such as parks, playgrounds and community facilities, and their transfer back to the CDA restores them to that purpose.
NAB recovers Rs241 billion: what the figure means
The three items add up to the Rs241.408 billion total announced by NAB: Rs118 billion in railway land, Rs123 billion in Pozzolan deposits and Rs408.45 million in amenity land.
NAB said the results showed its commitment to protecting public wealth and strengthening institutional accountability. The bureau has stepped up its focus on land and asset recovery in recent months, alongside its casework against public office holders.
The announcement follows other NAB action in the capital this week. The bureau has issued a second call-up notice to Asad Mahmood, the son of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, in a case about alleged illegal appointments in Pakistan Post. He has been asked to appear before investigators on Friday, November 13.
Why asset recovery matters for the public
Recovered land and mineral rights do not put cash in the treasury at once. Their value lies in what they make possible: railway land can be used for track, stations and freight terminals, mining deposits feed a dam that will add power and water storage, and amenity plots return open space to city residents. Pakistan Railways is also adding 36 locomotives to its fleet by June 2027, which will raise demand for the very land now being protected.
The test of the announcement will be what happens next. Mutation records must hold up against future claims, the fresh mining lease must lead to actual extraction, and the amenity land must stay in public use. NAB’s figures mark the start of that process, not its end.
Frequently asked questions
How much did NAB recover in two months?
NAB said it recovered and protected national assets worth about Rs241.408 billion over the past two months through three initiatives involving railway land, mining rights and public property.
What is the largest part of the recovery?
The Pozzolan mining deposits in Gilgit-Baltistan, valued at about Rs123 billion, form the largest part. Railway land worth Rs118 billion is the second largest item.
Where is the railway land located?
The nearly 4,000 kanals of Pakistan Railways land are spread across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal and Murree.
What is Pozzolan and why does it matter?
Pozzolan is a volcanic ash material used in cement and concrete. The deposits in the Gini area will supply construction material for the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project.
Did NAB recover Rs241 billion in cash?
No. The figure covers the estimated value of land and mineral rights that NAB helped secure and protect. It is an indirect recovery, not cash deposited in the treasury.
