‘NAB recovers Rs790b in various cases’

LAHORE: A seminar on "Role of Students and Universities in Eradication of Corruption" was organised at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) here on Thursday.

The seminar was arranged by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). An anti-corruption awareness walk was also organised on the occasion in which faculty, staff and students of the university participated in large numbers.

Among the speakers of the seminar were Additional Director NAB, Attiya Azmat, Deputy Director, Muhammad Sajid, and Registrar UHS, Professor Nadia Naseem who highlighted the administrative structure, mandate, and functions of NAB. NAB Deputy Director Muhammad Sajid said that the bureau had so far recovered Rs790 billion in various cases. He said that the overall conviction rate in NAB cases was 66 pc. Answering the questions of the students and faculty, the NAB officials said that there is a need to clarify the concept of Halal and Haram among the students.

"Students should become a strong voice against corruption", said Muhammad Sajid who added that the concept of corruption should have been included in the academic curricula long ago. NAB Additional Director Attiya Azmat said the society is suffering from moral degradation. "It seems like the system has gone on a ventilator. We have mentally accepted corruption and this public apathy is the main reason for the spread of corruption in society", she opined. She added that the concrete ways in which students might contribute to the fight against corruption included reporting on corruption to the authority or through the media and supporting training programmes and sensitization campaigns that aim to create a culture of integrity and zero tolerance for corruption.

She said that international laws and treaties sometimes became a hindrance while dealing with white-collar crimes. At the end of the seminar, UHS Vice Chancellor UHS Professor Ahsan Waheed Rathore gave shields to the speakers.