ISLAMABAD: A 52 percent drop in complaints against businessmen has significantly boosted the morale and confidence of Pakistan’s business community, with corporate leaders saying recent amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance NAO) have eased long-standing fears of arbitrary accountability and harassment.
Ahmad Chinoy, a director at the Pakistan Stock Exchange and focal person for the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Business Community Cell, said the reforms introduced between 2022 and 2025 have marked a clear shift in the accountability landscape. “The era of fear of NAB is no more. The era of NAB’s hunt for businessmen is over. This is the era where if you do clean work, NAB won’t hurt you,” he said.
Chinoy, who is also the Managing Partner of Arch Group and holds board positions at CDC, NCCPL, PMEX and SNGPL, said the amendments have played a “big role” in improving the ease of doing business in the country. According to him, businessmen no longer feel that they will be dragged before NAB in every matter. “After this ordinance, the fear of a businessman has gone that he will be held accountable in every case before NAB. This has been a big step for ease of doing business,” he added.
Official data for 2025 shows a 52 percent reduction in complaints filed against businesspersons, a development Chinoy believes has directly translated into higher investor confidence. Ahmad said the sharp decline has encouraged businessmen to consider new investments and expansion plans. “This has made a huge difference and given businessmen confidence that no bogus case will be built by NAB and no case will be made without proper inquiries and evidence,” he said.
FPCCI has also nominated Ahmed Chinoy as the focal person from FPCCI from all over Pakistan. Chinoy also credited the new affidavit-based criteria for filtering out malicious or frivolous complaints, saying it has removed the fear of anonymous or blackmail-motivated filings. “Previously, even a notice to NAB against a businessman was a real fear. These steps have made the whole process transparent and made businessmen more confident,” Chinoy noted.
According to him, the policy of not entertaining hearsay or unsubstantiated allegations has particularly helped businesses dealing with public-sector contracts and government procurement. “When the policy of hearsay is not there, a businessman is confident to do business with the government,” he said.
Highlighting the role of NAB’s Business Facilitation Cells, Chinoy said the mechanism has provided tangible relief to the private sector. As NAB’s focal person for business-related complaints, he said he has worked closely with business federations and has helped resolve numerous cases. “I have resolved over 12 complaints against businessmen which were bogus and nullified by NAB after clarity was given through the business facilitation centre,” he said, adding that complaints now pass through this filter before any formal action. Business leaders say the cumulative impact of these measures has replaced the so-called “NAB-phobia” of the pre-reform era with a more predictable and transparent accountability framework, restoring confidence among entrepreneurs and investors across Pakistan.
