Anti-corruption in development encouraging for governance

NAB chief notes Planning Commission has included it in its agenda

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry on Monday said that the Planning Commission of Pakistan (PCP) had made anti-corruption part of the development agenda which was encouraging in the context of governance.

The commission has included a chapter devoted to issues of corruption in its eleventh five-year plan to achieve its goals plan for eradication of the menace.

Chairing a meeting held here to review the performance of all wings of NAB, he said, there is no shortcut to hard work and commitment, adding that, “NAB believes in zero corruption, 100 per cent development.”

He said starting with the year 2014, when the bureau was reinvigorated, they had moved with new zeal and effort. Through detailed introspection and analysis of organisational weaknesses, an overhaul of procedures and business processes, all pillars of the organisation that is operations, prosecution, human resource development and awareness and prevention have been reactivated.

Zaman said an effective accountability mechanism is quintessential for economic growth, investment and stability of social order.

The intervention by NAB has acted as a catalyst, as transparency is a prerequisite for promoting investment and economic growth.

He said NAB has established its Forensic Science Lab (FSL) in Rawalpindi which has facilities of Digital Forensics, Questioned Documents and Fingerprint Analysis.

On bilateral cooperation, NAB has signed MoU with China to streamline and structure and cooperation in fields of anti-corruption. In the context of CPEC, this cooperation will further boost confidence in projects undertaken in Pakistan.

The chairman directed all officers of NAB to demonstrate absolute fairness, transparency and merit in discharge of their national duties.

He added that NAB is committed to combat corruption with the realization that eradication of corruption was their national duty and that they were all together in eradicating corruption.  He said that NAB is determined to corruption free Pakistan with “Zero corruption, 100 per cent Development”.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2017.