Call to free anti-graft institutions of politics

LAHORE: Image of Pakistan and Pakistan nationals needs to be improved in the comity of nations so that whole society could be known as corruption-free; accountability and anti-corruption institutions should be made politics-free.

These views were expressed by the experts in Jang Economic Session on ‘Corruption eradication or continuity of accountability – What is good for economy and public’. The panellists were Almas Hayder, Rana Sajjad, Hamid Malhi, Muhammad Ali Mian, Aftab Ahmed Vohra and Farooq Tariq while the session was hosted by Sikandar Lodhi.

Almas Hayder said that accountability process in Pakistan is similar like the world over. He said majority of Pakistanis are good people who do business honestly and keep their words honoured but impression of whole society is negative. He said the lawmakers should focus on effective legislation. He said why political parties were not questioned on recent Senate election corruption that why they allotted tickets to corrupt people.

Rana Sajjad said corruption is national and societal issue and it is not limited to extortion of public money, but also misuse of public office, don’t keep the difference between good or bad, violation of merit etc. He said effective accountability is unavoidable for eradication of corruption.

He said accountability process in this tenure is speedy as compared to the past but there is a need of equal transparent top to bottom accountability for continuity of justice.

Hamid Malhi said that corruption could be discouraged through strict punishments. He called for awareness among the public on misuse and abuse of national resources instead of targeted accountability for some time only besides changing the behaviours and approach rather ordinary steps. He said everyone is involved in corruption in its capacity and there is no role model for youths of Pakistan.

Muhammad Ali Mian said that equal, transparent and quick accountability is required for eradication of corruption at every level. He said unfortunately politicians and bureaucracy were focused on for accountability for some time. He called for making accountability process up to international standards while some institutions were out of accountability on the account of self-accountability. He said currently media trial was undergoing, not the accountability while ineffective accountability system was affecting the local and foreign investment.

Aftab Ahmed Vohra said the reality is that only those are clean from corruption who did not get chance of it. He said every individual was doing corruption from violation of traffic signal to extortion of national resources due to which social justice and accountability system had weakened. He said big thief escaped while small was nabbed; contrarily, in the western developed countries from individual to minister no one was above the law. He said idea of one sided accountability of politicians was incorrect rather equal and transparent accountability is unavoidable.

Farooq Tariq said that nation has accepted the culture of corruption. He said accountability and anti-corruption institution should be non-politicised instead of doing accountability on the instructions of some powerful forces or some assigned agenda.

He said politicians had lost the credibility among the pubic and now public left with the choice to elect more corrupt or less corrupt, or cheater.