People urged to eradicate corruption

DIR: An official said on Friday the eradication of corruption was a collective responsibility and all countrymen should join hands for that. “Promoting a culture of accountability for public officials and discouraging corruption is the need of the hour,” said District Coordinator for Pro-Growth, Arshad Abdali, while talking to the media along with others in connection with the International Anti-Corruption Day.

He said Pakistan must enforce effective governance mechanisms, and access to information laws, and strengthen local governments. Arshad Abdali said the media played a crucial role in eradicating corruption by revealing facts. “We must work together to establish a corruption-free society based on transparency and integrity,” he said.

Giving the background to the day, he said International Anti-Corruption Day was marked every year on December 9 to commemorate the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2003.

He said that the theme for this year was “Uniting the Next Generation Against Corruption,” which highlighted the crucial role of youth in eradicating corruption and promoting integrity.The official said various laws have been enacted, including the Anti-Corruption Act of 1947 and the National Accountability Ordinance to combat corruption effectively in Pakistan.

He said the recent amendments had extended the tenure of the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to three years and limited NAB’s jurisdiction to cases involving corruption of over Rs 500 million.

Arshad Abdali said national and provincial anti-corruption institutions, including anti-corruption establishments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan, were active which were investigating corruption cases to ensure accountability of public officials under respective laws.