One reason behind increasing corruption is because there is no, or very little, punishment.
JHANG: Pakistan has been facing the nuisance of corruption since its very inception. This vice now has many forms.
It is indeed a pity that according to the Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, Pakistan is ranked 127 on a scale of 175 countries. And needless to say, the scale might be understated as many stories of corruption are often not unearthed.
Most of the problems we are facing today as a nation are because the pillars of our state have weakened and degraded, are unresponsive and incompetent. Everyone is making money at the cost of national interest. Civil servants, who should ideally be at the service of the local population, in fact, pretend to be the masters of the people. Politicians who should be nation builders and saviours are robbers, turncoat and hoarders.
One reason behind increasing corruption is because there is no, or very little, punishment. The institutions which are set up to curb, control and eliminate corruption are more corrupt. It is time to sort out and kill the reasons which are giving birth to corruption. Those who are misusing public funds should be strictly checked. They should be punished in the harshest of ways as a deterrent so that others cannot think of indulging in corruption.
Pakistan desperately needs a visionary, far-sighted, competent, patriot and a well-educated leadership, so that it cannot only progress but also enter into the list of respected nations.
Zulqarnain Sewag
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2014.
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