Also, the ACC officials will have to maintain the highest transparency and accountability in every step from receiving corruption allegations to prosecution.

The anti-corruption watchdog chairman Iqbal Mahmood made this call to the ACC directors and director generals at a virtual meeting on Wednesday.

A grading system has been introduced for receiving complaints, he said adding that the marking system should be implemented transparently so that the initial objectivity, scope, amount of financial involvement in the complaint reflects the schedule of the ACC Act and existing rules and regulations.

"If the allegation is found baseless or not included in the schedule of the ACC Act after investigation, then the accused may consider himself a victim. So the allegations must be taken seriously and carefully," Iqbal Mahmood said.

The ACC chairman also said every complaint will have to be investigated within the deadline. "Administrative instructions have repeatedly been issued in this connection, and steps have also been taken."

"Although the number of pending investigations has dropped, it has not been possible to make it zero," Iqbal said.

About the pending investigation number received from the directors, Iqbal said these issues will have to be settled in the next seven working days through a crash program unless there is a valid reason not to do so.

"You have to protect the transparency, accountability, and confidentiality of your work to elevate the image of the commission. Also, we have to be careful so that administrative crimes like information leaks do not happen," he told ACC officials.

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