ISLAMABAD: As world is set to observe International Anti-Corruption Day today, country’s leadership reaffirmed its resolve to achieve corruption-free Pakistan by promoting transparency and accountability in country’s governance system. In their separate messages issued on Day, President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Aftab Sultan called for pledge to make collective efforts to eradicate this “Cancer that eats deeper into moral fabric of our society.”

President Alvi said, “Scourge of corruption and its various manifestations, moral or financial are responsible for some of gravest threats facing our nation. Corruption contributes to instability and poverty and is dominant factor driving fragile countries towards state failure,” he remarked. Fighting corruption is serious concern for developing countries, especially Pakistan as it weakened security, hindered economic growth, deprived nation of precious and scarce public and private resources.

“Elimination of corruption is mission but we will not succeed in this fight unless we are fully committed to its elimination and are guided by ingenuity, expertise and energy of those who are on frontlines of this fight.” he commented. He said role of civil society was also very critical in detecting root causes of corruption, exposing corrupt acts, shifting social norms and mobilising support for ambitious reforms based on moral values, justice, fairness and equal opportunity for all. He called for reaffirming commitment to eliminate corruption, promote transparency and accountability and purge this evil from society. Prime Minister calling corruption major impediment to country’s progress said it led to country’s instability by destroying its economy as well as administrative structure. He said deterioration of social values also gave way to corruption in any society. He said corruption not only risked flow of money into hands of miscreants to disrupt country’s peace but also led to weakening of national institutions creating public mistrust in governance.

NAB Chairman Aftab Sultan said with signing of United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2007, responsibility on Pakistan became even more extensive as several measures required under Convention that were related to misuse of banking channels for hiding illicit wealth.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 09 2022

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.