President Alvi vows to eradicate corruption

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has said corrupted economies remained unable to function properly because corruption prevented free functioning of natural laws of the economy. He said corruption in Pakistan hurts the economy as well as business.

Although it has wide spread implications on our lives, the economy bears the main brunt and in turn sabotages prosperity of the nation, said the president in a message on the International Anti-Corruption Day, being commemorated on December 9. The day is being observed since the ratification of the United Nations Convention against Corruption on October 31, 2003 to raise public awareness against financial crimes.

The president said: “Each year billions of rupees of national exchequer is being lost because of corruption in the form of embezzlements, bribes and misappropriation of funds which directly affect the ability of the government to provide even proper basic services to the public and denies them their fundamental rights.” He noted the sheer scale of the challenge called for combined efforts to confront this challenge head on.

The government is committed to eradicating this cancer, he said, adding that the NAB alone cannot win this fight.

He said corruption was now considered as one of the world’s greatest challenges. It was major hindrance against development and prosperity and corrosive for the very fabric of society and economic prosperity. This day reminds not only to the people of Pakistan, but also to the citizens of all the nations around the globe about harmful effects of corruption, he added.

The NAB being the apex anti-corruption agency of Pakistan had been mandated to keep this menace in check as well as to create awareness among the public at large about corruption. The publication of a special supplement on the day was a testament to highlight the efforts undertaken by the NAB, the president said, adding it also underscored the importance of eradicating this curse from the homeland, which was one of the top priorities of the present government.