ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday reiterated the resolve to eliminate corruption from the Country, and said it was necessary to seriously evaluate the reasons behind that social evil.
While speaking at a ceremony organized on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day at the Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad, the president said holding of this ceremony was reflective of the fact that eradication of corruption echoed in the voice of the Pakistani nation and that the government of Pakistan and its institutions were in unison for impartial, transparent and fair accountability in the Country.
The president also stressed the need for ensuring rule of law in the Country to overcome the menace of corruption and for that great purpose the nation must unite to achieve the objective.
President Mamnoon said it was necessary to ensure the rule of law because when the powerful in different segments of the society plundered national resources, the economic, political and social rights of the people were usurped. This weakened the commitment of an ordinary and poor person towards his Country and could drive him to commit mistakes in desperation, he added.
Mamnoon Hussain said after the creation of Pakistan the national exchequer always remained a trust of the nation despite all political turmoil but when the culture to bypass the laws grew, corruption also became rampant. He said the lesson of this bitter experience was that if we were serious to overcome corruption then we should resolve to ensure rule of law in the Country and for that the nation must unite to achieve the objective.
The president said in any society crime originated in such situations which gradually destroyed the whole social system.
“I believe that we have ample experience of such challenges. In comparison, the societies which are sensitive about morality and try to meet the future requirements by maintaining moral values in upbringing of their new generations, bad habits in such societies are hard to grow,” the president said.
The president this secret was revealed to the world after centuries of experiments and efforts.
“We are fortunate that this is the basis of our religious beliefs, and our ancestors were those who never used official resources for their personal work,” he said.
President Mamnoon said he believed that the temperament of Pakistani society was still the same but this virtue could be meaningful only if the lawbreaking elements were brought to justice by ensuring rule of law in the Country.
The president said Pakistani people were desirous of such a society in which everyone had equal rights and none usurped the rights of others. He said when a nation reached this level of realization then it was necessary to respect its sentiments by turning it into a positive force in order to save it from despondency.
Mamnoon Hussain said this was the reason, he laid maximum stress on eliminating corruption after assuming his current responsibilities, and added that he was glad that during this period, corruption had decreased in national institutions which had also been acknowledged by the international institutions. He said that it was a very encouraging development at the national level which should be valued.
The president said that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) could become a ray of hope in this regard but for this it was important that the tradition to fulfill requirements of justice should be promoted by discouraging the practice of hurling blame and accusations without evidence.
Moreover, he said it was heartening that during the last few years, the tradition to ensure good governance, transparency in economic affairs and accountability had grown in Pakistan, adding that he believed that matters would further improve with the support of people.
The president added this was imperative for stability of the economy, prosperity and availing optimal benefits from grand projects like China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
