LAHORE: Provincial and federal government departments observed International Anti-Corruption Day on Thursday and organised different events like walks, seminars and exhibitions on different platforms to create awareness against corruption among the general public.
Ob these occasions, government departments like Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Anti-Corruption Establishment also issued their performance reports till Thursday. FIA Punjab, while observing the day, organised a walk from its regional head office to Regal Chowk.
All staffers of FIA and people from various walks of life participated in the walk. The participants of the walk, on this occasion, promised to make all-out efforts for the eradication of corruption. The FIA officials also presented the performance report of the FIA Punjab during the current year. According to the report, the FIA, while taking action against corruption and corrupt practices on the directions of the federal government to eradicate corruption from state-controlled departments, registered 2,012 cases of which 2,008 cases have been finalised.
According to the official figures, the FIA Punjab conducted 4,181 inquiries of which 3,309 have been finalised. The FIA, Punjab chapter, also sent 2,584 cases to courts for legal proceedings and the courts convicted culprits in 1,482 cases. The FIA also arrested 742 proclaimed offenders and 180 court absconders during this year.
According to the official figures, the FIA also solved cases of corruption, including Operation Black Stone, Operation Railway Tender, Operation Gold, Operation National Insurance Corporation Limited, the plot about the assassination of the Lahore High Court chief justice, Gateway Exchanges, Operation PWD Tender, Operation Model Town and Operation Soneri-II. The FIA Punjab also claimed to have recovered more than Rs 3 billion from the people involved in corruption during this year.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Punjab also observed International Anti-Corruption Day with enthusiasm and fever and organised declamation contests, paintings exhibitions and a prize-distribution ceremony at Alhamra Arts Council.
Lahore High Court Chief Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry presided over the function as the chief guest. Over 300 students of various schools, colleges and universities actively participated in the event.
Addressing the participants, the LHC chief justice stressed the need for strict accountability laws and capital punishment for white-collar crimes to eradicate corruption. Taking account of anti-corruption efforts in Pakistan, the chief justice applauded performance of NAB in investigating mega corruption cases against influential people of the society. He also appreciated the thoughts projected by the young generation in declamation contest, essay writing and painting competition on “Menace of Corruption and Accountability Drives in Pakistan” while inaugurating painting exhibition at Al-Hamra Art Gallery.
The NAB Punjab also distributed cheques of Rs 35 million among 500 affectees of Double Shah scam at Chamba House GOR-I, Lahore. Director General NAB Punjab Justice (retd) Rana Zahid Mahmood disbursed the cheques. Addressing the function, Rana Zahid advised the general public not to indulge in unlawful practices of investing money with fraudsters for the greed of inflated profits.
The NAB Punjab has succeeded to finalise voluntary return and plea bargain of Rs. 7.5 billion in the Double Shah scam. The NAB Punjab also displayed banners at conspicuous places of the city in addition to distributing stickers and handbills at important public places. The Anti-Corruption Department Punjab also observed Anti-Corruption Day. ACE Punjab Director General Kazim Ali Malik on this occasion said the ACE was taking all necessary steps to eradicate corruption from the provincial and subordinate departments. He appealed to the general public to point out the corrupt elements.
According to the official data issued on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Days, the ACE initiated 11,553 inquiries of which 8,225 were disposed of. The ACE registered 1,480 cases of which 1,330 were disposed of. The ACE conducted 82 raids and arrested 833 accused, including 129 proclaimed offenders. The ACE submitted challans of 702 cases in the respective anti-corruption courts during this period.
