Controlling corruption matter of life and death: NAB chief

QUETTA: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry has said that it has become a matter of life and death to control corruption in Pakistan.
He expressed these views while inaugurating the security system as well as personally inspecting the compilation of record of different cases in the NAB Balochistan office during his visit to Quetta on Monday.
While talking to officials, Qamar Zaman said that corruption was one of the major factors that impedes the progress and prosperity of a country. It creates injustice, poverty and hurts merit, depriving a deserving person of his due right, he added.
He said that corruption affected the country just like cancer and has now become a matter of life and death in Pakistan. All segments of the society should play an active role for the eradication of corruption, he said.
The NAB head said that there were many examples of the countries which achieved progress and prosperity through effective legislation and by combined efforts of government and general public for the elimination of corruption. He said that NAB was determined to eradicate corruption from the country with absolute professionalism, integrity and without fear or favour to anyone.
He said that NAB believed in “zero-tolerance” towards corruption. It is encouraging for NAB that for the first time anti-corruption has been made a part of development agenda in Pakistan in the context of Governance, he added.
“The Planning Commission of Pakistan has included a chapter devoted to issues of corruption in the 11th five year plan and we intend to work closely with the Commission to achieve the goals set in there,” he added.
He said that the latest Transparency International report (CPI) has graded Pakistan at 126th position out of 175 countries worldwide. In fact, this is the highest position attained by Pakistan since Transparency International started the ratings in 1995. He directed all ranks of Officers/Officials of NAB Karachi to work with honesty and integrity.Director General NAB Balochistan Syed Khalid Iqbal accompanied the chairman.