First things first

Former COAS Gen (r) Raheel Sharif was perhaps the first person to talk about the nexus between corruption and militancy. He cautioned that terrorism will not be controlled unless the growing problem of corruption is resolved. Now Transparency International has endorsed what Raheel Sharif has been saying all along. Director of Transparency International Defence and Security Katherine Dixon has said, “Corruption is a rallying cry, an enabler and a key modus operandi for terrorists”.

Whatever be the outcome of the Panama case in the Supreme Court, the lesson learnt is that critical civilian institutions should be empowered by making them independent. The political leadership should not have any direct role in the appointment of key personnel in these organisations. This is the only way to curb corruption and introduce transparency in decision making.

Huma Arif

Karachi