Social, family pressures key reasons for corruption: NAB official

Social and family pressures are among the major reasons for corruption in the country, hence the need to create awareness among women and children and convince them to play their role against the menace.

This was stated by Aliya Rashid, director general of Awareness and Prevention Division of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), during a lecture to the employees of National Highways Authority (NHA) on Tuesday.

She claimed that women and children pushed their husbands and fathers for items beyond their means such as cars, houses, mobile phones etc., just to compete with their relatives, friends or neighbours.

“It is nothing but pushing a person sitting on a wheelchair to run. As every man wants to become a hero in the eyes of their wife and children, they try to fulfill the demands of their family members by using fair and unfair means,” she said.

“If we keep hammering the word ‘Say No to Corruption’, people will definitely help stop it,” she added.

Giving details of NAB’s anti-corruption campaign, she said that “Say No to Corruption” message had been written on postage stamps, utility bills, CNIC carrier papers, driving licenses, ATMs, railway tickets, postal envelopes, airport screens and newspapers in Balochistan and G-B.

A storybook, Gogi Says No to Corruption and colouring books for primary and secondary level have also been printed for children.

NHA Chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarar said ‘say no to corruption’ had become a national slogan.  He added that they had launched a comprehensive reform initiative to prevent malpractice in public procurement, leading to savings of Rs300 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2017.