Agencies alone cannot overcome corruption, says NAB chief

The Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, urged all the segments of society, especially youth, to join hands with the NAB in fight against corruption, terming it one of the world's biggest obstacles to sustainable economic growth and building a strong, moral and ethical society. The Chairman NAB said this while addressing a seminar titled 'Role of Youth in Eradication of Corruption' organised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Chairman HEC Professor Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, vice-chancellors of different universities, senior faculty members and a large number of students attended the seminar. The chairman NAB said it was the responsibility of every individual to make efforts in transforming mindset of people towards zero tolerance for corruption. He further said that anti-corruption agencies alone cannot overcome this ordeal, adding that for eradication of corruption, people from all walks of life, especially youth, need to join hands with the NAB.
He said the importance of youth in the society cannot be ignored as 60 per cent of Pakistan's population is characterised as young. "Youth are not only legitimately regarded as the future leaders, they are potentially and actually the greatest investment for a country's development," he added. The chairman NAB said that the youth need to contribute to this cause by extending full support to the state and anti-corruption agencies in creating awareness about its ill-effects.
He said no one should delude himself or herself, believing that eradication of corruption will be a straightforward task. Efforts against corruption in Pakistan are far more complicated as compared to the other countries, he remarked. He said the NAB and HEC have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to make concerted efforts to root out corruption from the society and create awareness regarding ill-effects of corruption among the youth of the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed urged upon the teachers to pay due attention to training of their students apart from imparting education. "The responsibility of stemming corruption lies on all of us. However, the biggest responsibility lies on the shoulders of the teachers to train the youth against the menace of corruption," he added.
He said that corruption, nepotism and irregularity have pervaded the entire social fabric, adding it was a question mark for every Pakistani that institutions were calling for anti-corruption efforts in a country, which was founded in the name of faith.