‘Pakistan a role model for SAARC members for anti-corruption strategy’
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry on Saturday said that the effective awareness and prevention strategy of the bureau proved very successful in order to aware people about the ill effects of corruption through its slogan – Say No To Corruption.
He said that corruption was a method and a technique adopted just to bypass the rule of law and engulfing the whole system into socio-economic turmoil. Furthermore, corruption, being the mother of all ills, gives birth to multifarious problems including nepotism, favouritism and negating meritocracy, transparency and accountability, he said.
Due to the initiatives taken by the NAB management, Pakistan has considered a role model for SAARC countries in terms of its effective anti-corruption strategy to aware people about the ill effects of corruption. Pakistan is the only country who’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) according to the Transparency International Report of 2016 has been decreased from 126 to 116.
Pakistan has selected first chairman of SAARC Anti-Corruption Forum which is a great achievement for the country due to NAB. He said that NAB mandated to carry out awareness activities functions against corruption in pursuance of the Section 33C of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO).
Under NAB’s awareness and prevention campaign, NAB has been engaging different governmental, non-governmental organisations, media, civil and other segments of the society in order to aware people about the ill effects of corruption. As per the positive feedback, received from various segments of the society, about NAB’s campaign has been very encouraging as print and electronic media gave extensive coverage to highlight this national cause throughout the country which is appreciated.
He said that NAB has taken different efforts to aware people about the ill effects of corruption under its awareness and prevention campaign. Due to NAB’s efforts, on all ATM machines of all scheduled banks carry NAB’s message across the country in order to aware people about the ill effects of corruption.
NAB and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for creating awareness amongst the students of various universities and colleges. NAB and SNGPL, IESCO, LESCO, GEPCO, FESCO and K-Electric join hands to print NAB message on corruption from their platform in order to disseminate awareness about corruption.
IESCO and other organisations have started printing NAB message on electricity bills and gas bills. In collaboration with the Islamabad Traffic Police, NAB has also started printing 2.4 million messages on all driving licenses. It also in collaboration with PTA has disseminated NAB’s message to all mobile phone subscribers through different mobile phone companies at the eve of World Anti-Corruption Day in order to aware people belong to all segments of society.
It also in collaboration with the Federal Film Censor Board continuously being aired NAB’s video message on corruption in all cinema houses of the country. NAB’s these initiatives have been appreciated by public at large.