DUBAI: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Friday that the recently released Transparency International report on corruption in Pakistan was fabricated, baseless and a pack of lies that depicted volume of corruption more than country's annual budget, and negated its earlier acknowledgement of anti-corruption measures adopted by Pakistan.
In a statement issued here, he said the report had depicted daily corruption of Rs7 billion with its annual volume of Rs25.20 trillion in the country, which was the strongest evidence to prove its irrationality and falseness.
The information minister observed that Transparency International had modified its method for calculating its perception index this year and that the current score was incomparable with that of previous year. Likewise, the comparison between Pakistan's 33rd rank with 42nd of previous year was illogical.
Kaira added that no country maintained same score during previous years as out of total 176 countries, around two-third countries obtained a score below 50 manifesting that increase in corruption was a global phenomenon. In this respect, the minister pointed out that the rising trend of corruption in South Asian states was more worrisome. Nepal came in at 139 in the list of most corrupt countries, followed by Bangladesh and Afghanistan depicting that the whole region was crippled with corruption.
Suggesting a means to arrest this worrisome development, he said the situation needed to be addressed through civil society, media, business community and the government using different techniques.
The Information Minister said even the countries located at the heart of the Euro Zone have been showing dismal progress in Corruption Perception Index. He observed that the world's top 85 multinational companies do not show their tax invoices on their corporate website.
Combating corruption in Pakistan
Defending Pakistan in light of poor rating it received in the report, Kaira said that the country has taken a number of steps to combat corruption. At the parliamentary level, the Public Accounts Committee was actively working and for the first time in country's history, the opposition leader in the National Assembly was appointed as its chairman which manifests the government's commitment to eliminate corruption.
Presenting figures to back his claim, Kaira said the PAC has so far recovered Rs180 billion indiscriminately that was also lauded by the Transparency International as it had helped reduce corruption, but now through this report, the TI was negating its own stance.
He dilated that at the federal level, the National Accountability Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency were working, while Anti-Corruption Departments were performing at provincial levels, which have also recovered embezzled amounts and acted against the responsible people.
The information minister added that in Pakistan the judiciary and media were functioning independently in arresting corruption. The courts had taken suo motu notices on the basis of media reports, several of those have been disposed of and plenty of others were subjudice he pointed out.
"It is a fact that graph of corruption has come down owing to efficient performance of NAB and FIA as well as court cases," he commented.
Kaira alleged that TI had no mechanism in Pakistan to detect corruption in the institutions, rather its findings were based on guesses and concocted figures.
The information minister claimed that since Pakistan Peoples Party came into power, various reports have come to scene regarding corruption, or about popularity graphs, but such elements neither achieved their targets nor would they do so in future.
"Despite all such nefarious propaganda, the democratic government was about to complete its tenure for the first time in the history [of the country] that would follow the caretaker government and the general elections. The PPP would come into rule once again to serve the masses for next five years," the minister declared.
COMMENTS (23)
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The Transparency International (TI), to launch a self-destruction campaign which, even if not proved right, possesses considerable potential of damaging the country’s image in an interdependent world?Obviously, every conscientious Pakistani will condemn TI’s self-ignominy campaign that is even otherwise based on perceptions and not on actual acts of corruption. Certainly, this doesn’t divest TI of its right to expose the wrongdoing in different sectors but it does make the people think and rethink about the excitement with which the TI projects the false image of Pakistan, as if taking pride in telling the world to rejoice Pakistan’s ‘rise’ to rank 33, from the previous 42 in the list of corrupt countries.This is what has been stated in the TI’s annual report over corruption in the year 2012 although this report in itself lacks authenticity. TI’s excitement is really disgusting and more embarrassing is the TI’s mechanised churning out of figures that just can’t be adjudged on existing, reasonable benchmarks. Some analysts rather believe that TI has developed the skill of creating imaginary figures since it knows well that precise, mathematical rebuttal of such figures is more difficult a task than even grudgingly swallowing such horrible allegations. This is tragic indeed.
Was th Chairman NAB.s statement about the massive volume of corruption per day also "fabricated, baseless and a pack of lies that depicted volume of corruption"
India ranks 94 ( out of 176 countries) as per corruption index but we feel that corruption is very high and needs to be curbed from top to bottom and looking for the measures and possible remedy in system. Ensuing transparency in the affairs of public system at all level is one such step and steps initiated to plug the loopholes in the legal system Bihar has made provisions in the law that ill gotten wealth/ property (beyond their known source of income) if identified shall be seized by the government without waiting for the decision of the court. If it is a building the same shall be used as school (premises). some bureaucrats have lost such properties and the jobs too.
Anna Hajare's movement and untiring efforts of the organisation "India Against Corruption" is the voice of people at large in this direction. Not only ruling coalition but the opposition parties also have their hands in glove to maintain the status quo of corruption level. I think the same scenario prevail in all developing countries.and corruption is directly linked to economy in democratic set up. .
Acceptance of corruption in public life is the first step for its eradication.
"Kaira added that no country maintained same score during previous years as out of total 176 countries, around two-third countries obtained a score below 50 manifesting that increase in corruption was a global phenomenon."
In any list of 176 counties 1/3 will be above 50 and 2/3 rd will be below 50. Simple math , so how does that prove the report is wrong?
May be counting corrupt money involves new math and rest of the world should come to Kaira to learn that.
Nathan
@Kamran Naqvi: Not to mention corruption in contracts, kick backs and tenders.
What a coincidence that hundreds of thousand rupees shows up in your ministers' one of 26-bank accounts and if someone finds out then they are told that it was an accident or mistake and he is going to return it. But if nobody find out then it is all theirs! Their relatives are buying tangible assets left and right and I wonder from where they are getting that money? I wish those things have ever happened to me as well as my friends. But I guess all that loot, or commonly known as c.o.r.r.u.p.t.i.o.n, is for your buddies only. If your buddies are all clean then why have you tied NAB and FIA hands to not investigate your PPP buddies? Let them do independent investigations and if all these accusation proven false then you should claim your innocence and go after Transparency International as well.
Hypocrisy.....if there's something good than they trust on these reports and if its like this so they don't, poor guy and sick politicians, he will got to know very soon people of pakistan are not fool any more now. they have to face all this if not today definitely tomorrow... Ohh God please save Pakistan from these insane people..!!
@MSJ
Me thinks it's an India-Israel-USA conspiracy. This is my instinct reflex action whenever something is said critical about my holy land, Pakistan, God's only paradise on planet earth.
I do hope Kaira Sb.is still around to defend his corrupt leaders after next election when they`ll all get roped in to account for their deeds in open courts. Can he read the writing on every wall ??
Nice. Look who is talking
Oh yes! We believe you! You're the only one who talks true and the whole world is blind and tell lies!
cruption is an issue. its fact.
Innocent guy. As if there has been no corruption during the 5 years rule of PPP.
What do you expect from corrupt individual, these are the argument he uses every morning to justify his actions. Just because in your neighbourhood there is a bigger criminal that does not absolve you of committing a similar crime. Isn't the bhata mafia more active in karachi or as a VIP he does not notice? Talking about the opposition not much of an opposition if they have a hand in the pot as well. Please tell us tax payers where 80 billion rupees of our money went this according to your Government's accounts? @Dr.X:
What else is he supposed to say ????
Of course the prevalence of corruption in Pakistan cannot be negated. However the way Transparency international prepares its reports is questionable since most of the indicators are perception based that can be affected by an impartial media. I agree with Kaira on this.
I agree with him because overall such ratings are proven to be inaccurate and specially in Scandinavia nobody pays any attention to such ratings. I just wonder who would be the mind behind this report. May be a South Asian?
This is just to stir people's emotions against any system.
Probably Mr Kaira does not know, or does not want to know, the mega corruption in NICL, Pakistan Steel, Pak Railways, PIA, Hajj corruption, Ephedrine quota smuggling, PTA, OGRA so on and so forth.... People are suffering but the President of Pakistan is richer than the President of USA !!
probably because he was in it.
Rips apart? With what? Party politics in play again.
Yes yes sir, anythinggg that even remotely accuses your government of corruption or tries to hold the rulers responsible for that is either 'an institution breaching its constitutional limits' or 'fabricated and baseless'. How dare they accuse of you of such a false charge ehh? You are a pure people aren't ya? Just clean of any wrongdoing. So-called 'representatives' of the people. They should first clarify which 'people's representatives are they, certainly not the Pakistani people's reps!