In fighting corruption: NAB lays emphasis on awareness, prevention
Says effective accountability mechanism is vital for economic growth
NAB Chairperson Qamar Zaman presiding over a meeting. PHOTO:APP
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has laid special emphasis on awareness and prevention by involving youth in its ongoing drive against corruption as they are the future of the country.
More than 20,000 character-building societies have been set up in universities and colleges across the country for creating awareness among the youth about the menace.
This was said by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairperson Qamar Zaman Chaudhry while presiding over a meeting to review the performance of the bureau at its headquarters here on Tuesday.
Special focus is, therefore, being given to awareness and prevention besides enforcement to educate people about the ill-effects of corruption, he added.
The chairman said that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan had said that “one of the biggest curses… is bribery and corruption. That really is a poison. We must put it down with an iron hand.”
An effective accountability mechanism is necessary for economic growth, investment and stability of social order, he emphasised.
The intervention by NAB has acted as a catalyst, as transparency is a prerequisite for promoting investment and economic growth, he said. Since its inception, the bureau had adopted a enforcement-based approach in its fight against corruption, Chaudhry said.
The bureau is essentially a complaint-driven organisation, Chaudhry said. NAB’s operational methodology has set three stages for proceeding complaint verification, inquiry and investigation of cases, he said. NAB officials need to follow a strict code of conduct and zero tolerance policy against the eradication of corruption, he added.
The year 2014 can be called a year of reinvigoration in which NAB moved with new zeal,” NAB chairman said. Through detailed introspection and analysis of organisational weaknesses, an overhaul of procedures and business processes, all pillars of the organisation were reactivated, he said. Organogram was revisited to transform NAB into an efficient and credible organisation, he added.
Chaudhry said that to avoid the possibility of influencing discharge of official business by any official of the bureau, a concept of combined investigation was introduced where two investigation officers and a legal consultant work as a team for a fair, transparent and unbiased investigation.
He said that NAB has recovered Rs276 billion from individuals and organisations since its inception and deposited in the national exchequer. Transparency International and PILDAT have appreciated the bureau’s performance, he said.
Chaudhry reminded the officials that fighting corruption was a challenging task.
“Serious efforts to combat corruption have been started with the realisation that it is our collective social responsibility and that it would result in common good,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2016.
More than 20,000 character-building societies have been set up in universities and colleges across the country for creating awareness among the youth about the menace.
This was said by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairperson Qamar Zaman Chaudhry while presiding over a meeting to review the performance of the bureau at its headquarters here on Tuesday.
Special focus is, therefore, being given to awareness and prevention besides enforcement to educate people about the ill-effects of corruption, he added.
The chairman said that Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan had said that “one of the biggest curses… is bribery and corruption. That really is a poison. We must put it down with an iron hand.”
An effective accountability mechanism is necessary for economic growth, investment and stability of social order, he emphasised.
The intervention by NAB has acted as a catalyst, as transparency is a prerequisite for promoting investment and economic growth, he said. Since its inception, the bureau had adopted a enforcement-based approach in its fight against corruption, Chaudhry said.
The bureau is essentially a complaint-driven organisation, Chaudhry said. NAB’s operational methodology has set three stages for proceeding complaint verification, inquiry and investigation of cases, he said. NAB officials need to follow a strict code of conduct and zero tolerance policy against the eradication of corruption, he added.
The year 2014 can be called a year of reinvigoration in which NAB moved with new zeal,” NAB chairman said. Through detailed introspection and analysis of organisational weaknesses, an overhaul of procedures and business processes, all pillars of the organisation were reactivated, he said. Organogram was revisited to transform NAB into an efficient and credible organisation, he added.
Chaudhry said that to avoid the possibility of influencing discharge of official business by any official of the bureau, a concept of combined investigation was introduced where two investigation officers and a legal consultant work as a team for a fair, transparent and unbiased investigation.
He said that NAB has recovered Rs276 billion from individuals and organisations since its inception and deposited in the national exchequer. Transparency International and PILDAT have appreciated the bureau’s performance, he said.
Chaudhry reminded the officials that fighting corruption was a challenging task.
“Serious efforts to combat corruption have been started with the realisation that it is our collective social responsibility and that it would result in common good,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 13th, 2016.