ISLAMABAD, Nov 29 (APP): 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 here by International Islamic University,
Islamabad, he said, “Youth is our future and NAB wants to engage
them to join hands in its fight against corruption.”
Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, Rector International Islamic
University, 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, Prof. 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”.
