Stricter policies imperative to end corruption: governor

Corruption is eating away at our social fabric resulting in deterioration of societal and moral values. This is due to the fact that our system of checks and balances is fast becoming ineffective owing to unwanted influence of corrupt elements. 

These observations were part of a message by Sindh Governor Justice (retd) Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui that was read out at a seminar organised by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the Role of State Institutions in Promoting Accountability, at the Governor House on Wednesday.

Former Federal Law Minister Barrister Shahida Jameel, Senator Tanveer-ul-Haq Thanvi, MPA Qasim Rizvi, Director General NAB Karachi Lt Col (retd) Siraj-ul-Naeem, NAB Prosecutor General Accountability Waqas Qadeer Dar, Director and Dean IBA Karachi Dr Farrukh Iqbal and Transparency International Pakistan Chairman Sohail Muzzafar were also present on the occasion.

The governor’s message read that even government departments meant for public service delivery were involved in corrupt practices, which was extremely unfortunate. He said, “Corruption was a poison that will gradually mix up in the veins of our economy; spoiling the very fabric of our beloved country.”

He further said that state institutions needed to play a key role in developing a mechanism that had internal checks and balances to fight the evil of corruption. Such a mechanism would certainly promote a culture of accountability in the system, his message further read.

Governor Siddiqui urged policy makers to formulate policies against the evil of corruption, keeping in view the root causes, and identify an effective solution. Every state institution required adopting strong measures to put a stop to malpractices, and invited citizens to play their due role by providing a helping hand to institutions like NAB, “Since corruption is our common enemy,” he observed.

DG NAB Karachi Lt Col (retd) Naeem said the investigative agency had received 6,613 complaints during 2016, while 120 complaints were investigated and Rs1.739 billion was recovered. As many as 83 references were also filed while 126 people were apprehended.