ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal on Wednesday said that the bureau, committed to curbing corruption across-the-board, has taken action against certain influential persons who considered themselves as “untouchable”.
He was addressing a seminar titled ‘Our Faith, Corruption Free Pakistan’ arranged here at the Faisal Masjid campus of International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) in connection with the commemoration of anti-corruption week.
The NAB chairman said that the bureau had started investigations, inquiries and filed references against powerful corrupt persons and would continue pursuing such corrupt persons as per law.
He said that corruption was the root cause of every evil and has become one of the greatest challenges of the modern era.
“Some have called the corruption as ‘deemak’ but in our society, it has become cancer and the only treatment of this disease is surgery,” he said, adding that the bureau and other anti-corruption agencies were working hard to curb corruption through various designed strategies.
He was of the view that the economy and social development of Pakistan has suffered mainly because of corruption.
Justice Javed Iqbal further said that he was very proud that Pakistan is considered as a role model in the eradication of corruption due to NAB efforts by all SAARC countries.
“Pakistan is the only country whose Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has decreased from 175 to 116, according to the Transparency International Report,” he said.
He said that in the last survey, 59 per cent people of the country have shown confidence in NAB due to its actions against corrupt persons who are influential.
He stated that courts in Pakistan were independent and showing improvement and added that the day when a common man would have a decent and respectable life in Pakistan would come soon.
“We need to pursue self-accountability in our life and I request you to adopt this approach for a better future,” he said.