Seminar on corruption; a threat to good governess and economic development

Islamabad, June 19, 2014 (PPI-OT): National Accountability Bureau (NAB) organized a seminar on “Corruption; A threat to Good Governess and economic development” here at Islamabad. Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms was the chief guest of the event.

While addressing the gathering consisting of teachers, students, Government employees, and representatives of different segments of society, the Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that we are in the list of the countries worst affected by corruption.

Thirty-five years of accountability did not produce any result. Corruption is a cancer which is eating very fabric of our society. We need political stability and continuity of good governess and sustainable development agenda to compete in the comity of nations. He said that we need a holistic and comprehensive approach to eliminate the virus of corruption to pave the way for a prosperous Pakistan.

Chairman NAB said that the Bureau has been striving to eliminate corruption through a holistic and integrated approach. The gigantic task assigned to it makes it imperative that its extensive powers be exercised with the utmost fairness and with a high sense of integrity.

He said that since its inception, NAB has adopted the Enforcement based approach in the fight against corruption. Irrespective of their status and social standing, NAB has prosecuted the corrupt and has recovered over Rs.260 billion of looted public money so far.

He emphasized that corruption is too complex a Phenomenon to be controlled with the Enforcement strategy alone. Controlling corruption on a sustainable and long term basis requires a broader vision and multi-faceted strategy, which banks heavily on Awareness and Prevention of corruption in addition to the old Enforcement approach. This prevention and awareness process when synergized with enforcement will ensure that, the work pressure of judicial institutions pertaining to procurements and contracts abuses is substantially reduced and corruption is ultimately curbed.

Qamar Zaman Chaudhry shared with the participants that NAB has started a process of reforms to energize the existing accountability system to improve the efficiency in all spheres of NAB’s working from Awareness and Prevention to Enforcement and Prosecution. Special focus will be given to Awareness and Prevention activities to spread the massage against corruption. NGOs, Media and Corporate sector will be involved in developing awareness and publicity material. Character Building Societies (CBS) are being set up across the country to build an edifice against corruption.

In his welcome remarks, the Director General NAB, Rawalpindi Col (R) Shahzad Anwar Bhatti apprised that the Regional NAB is pursuing a number of initiatives on awareness and prevention of corruption. He said that as youth is our primary target therefore, NAB(R) has initiated concept of character building societies in all educational institutions starting from school to university level in our area of responsibility. So far more than 4500 such societies have been formed and are actively performing their functions. Every year debate competitions, posters competitions and essay writing competition are held at school/colleges and university level.

To sensitize public of ill effects of corruption and frauds of public nature NAB is making all out endeavour in collaboration with electronic media and print media. Regular workshops for capacity building of government officers and taking up issues of social importance are common features, besides holding seminars.

The event was addressed by Mr. Rustam Shah Mohmand, Ex-Ambassador, Air Marshal (R) Mahmood Akhtar, Prof Dr. Majid Mahmood Bagram and Mr. Mati-ullah Jan. Speakers highlighted the ill effects of corruption on Good Governance and Development. The need for gearing up efforts was emphasized.

For more information, contact:
National Accountability Bureau (NAB)
ATTATURK AVENUE G-5/2, Islamabad
Tel: 051-111-NAB-NAB (111-622-622)
Fax: 051-9214502-03
Email: chairman@nab.gov.pk, infonab@nab.gov.pk