After successful 2016: NAB to extend awareness campaign in 2017

Bureau’s chief says decision based on positive feedback received from public

ISLAMABAD: After National Account­ability Bureau’s (NAB) awareness campaign, “say no to corruption”, had proven to be successful in 2016, the campaign will be continued in 2017 as well, the body said on Saturday.

Chairing a meeting to review progress of the body’s country-wide awareness and prevention campaign at NAB’s headquarters in Islamabad on Saturday, the bureau’s chief Qamar Zaman Chaudhry said that NAB was mandated to carry out awareness and prevention functions against corruption in pursuance of Section 33C of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO).

Under NAB’s awareness campaign, he said the body had been engaging different governmental, non-governmental organisations, media, civil society and other segments of society in order to make the public aware about the ill effects of corruption.

Following positive feedback received from various segments of society, NAB’s campaign, “Say no to corruption”, had been highlighted in print and electronic media throughout the country.

Highlighting progress made in 2016, he said that NAB had worked with banks to include the body’s message on all ATM machines of all scheduled banks.

Further, the body signed an agreement with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) under which over 42,000 character building societies were established in various universities and colleges across the country.

NAB, Chaudhry said, also worked with various utilities including SNGPL, IESCO, LESCO, GEPCO, FESCO and K-Electric to print NAB’s message on their respective bills.

Furthermore, NAB, in collaboration with Islamabad Traffic Police printed the “say no to corruption” slogan on some 2.4 million driving licenses in the capital.

NAB, in collaboration with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, disseminated NAB’s message to all mobile phone subscribers across the country through different mobile phone companies on the eve of World Anti-Corruption Day.

The body also worked with the Pakistan Film Censor Board to include NAB’s video message against corruption in all cinema houses of the country.

The Ministry of National Health Services also joined hands with NAB to print the slogan on all cigarette packs across the country.

NAB’s message was also printed on all government tenders issued for publication in newspapers in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2017.