ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Qamar Zaman Chaudhry Tuesday said organizations like NAB and other anti-corruption agencies have an equally formidable task in shape of corruption that “we need to weed out.”
At a national seminar on `Role of youth in eradication of corruption,’ organized in Islamabad by International Islamic University (IIU), he said, “Youth is our future and NAB wants to engage them to join hands in its fight against corruption.”
Professor Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, Rector IIU, senior faculty members and a large number of students attended the seminar.
He said corruption is root cause of every evil and it has become one of the biggest challenges of modern era, adding that some have called it as grave as terrorism since nexus between the two is quite unholy.
“Like the rest of world we too are confronted by twin menace. Economy and social development of our country has suffered immensely from detrimental effects of corruption and terrorism,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s Armed Forces are engaged in tackling monster of terrorism and they have laid innumerable sacrifices in fighting terrorism.
“I feel that youth are the ones who can be most effective in taking anti-corruption message to their homes, to streets, to localities and create desired disdain against corruption. The nation belongs to its youth and they are leaders of tomorrow,” he added.
He said corruption badly affects state of economy, standard of living and social justice and it eats up innocence of people belonging to all walks of life, around the world and added indeed it is no longer a national matter but a transnational phenomenon that affects all societies and economies.
The chairman said, “If a country wants to achieve sustained socio-economic development with healthy foreign investments, corruption must be eliminated at all costs.”
Qamar Zaman Ch. said ill-effects of corruption have become one of the greatest challenges that every country is confronted with, adding that the more developed countries have managed in reducing its size and scope to a minimum level through sustainable measures like building institutions but it is quite rampant in developing counties.
Enumerating NAB’s efforts for eradication of corruption, he said the Bureau has been consistently engaging all stakeholders to uproot this evil from society.
NAB works on a three pronged strategy to weed out corruption which consists of Awareness, Prevention & Enforcement as any single prong cannot give the desired results.
He said NAB has taken a lead in establishing a path way for effectively combating corruption in the system and under Awareness/Education Regime thousands of Character Building Societies (CBS) have been established in educational institutions all over the country for sensitizing our future leadership against corruption.
The Awareness/Education Campaign against corruption/corrupt practices has been intensified by the Bureau particularly during last three years.
Various seminars, lectures, and events have been held for educating youth about the negative impacts of corruption on society.
Our motto is “Say No to Corruption” and it has been disseminated successfully through various platforms.
The chairman said in field of Enforcement the first step is cognizance of an offence and then investigations follows. On successful completion of Investigation, Prosecution in Court of Law is pursued so that culprits can be awarded punishment for offence.
The consolidated conviction rate in courts is a solid 76 % for first nine months of 2016. The efforts of NAB through enforcement have also created a potent deterrence against corruption and had an overall positive effect. These efforts have started bearing results both at home and abroad.
Due to Bureau’s efforts, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), Transparency International, Mishal and World Economic Forum have appreciated its performance.
He said responsibility for fighting corruption is not only that of government or NAB alone, adding that “We, therefore, must collectively fight to destroy this cancer that eats deeper in to moral fabric of our society.”
He said the International Anti-corruption Day is commemorated every year throughout the World on 9th of December and build up to that day is marked by such activities like seminars, workshops, organizing walks and tabloos which can highlight importance of work in anti-corruption field.
“I hope International Islamic University will play a lead role in such activities,” he said and during his visit to Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad last week, students body decided to open an Anti-corruption club in their University just as the Hiking club or any other such activities.
“I will encourage you to undertake similar activity here also so that you can channelize your efforts in a more concerted manner,” the Chairman said.
Earlier, Professor Dr. Masoom Yasinzai appreciated NAB’s performance and assured that an Anti-corruption club in International Islamic University will be established to aware students about ill effects of corruption.
On the occasion, teachers and students decided to join hands with NAB in its national campaign on” Say No To Corruption”.
