Musharraf on corruption

While addressing the convocation of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), President Musharraf very rightly pinpointed corruption and nepotism as the two evils, which is the root cause of all the problems confronting Pakistan.
This is an established fact, oft repeated by every regime in Pakistan and the Third World. Having said that, he, the President, needs to be seen holding accountable all those involved in these two evils, irrespective of their political alignments or background, inclusive of members of the khaki establishment.
To start with, the recent revelations of involvement of sugar mill owners by PAC in the sugar crisis, which has badly affected the credibility of both the federal and provincial governments, must be made a model. Words must transform into deeds, otherwise mere rhetoric, only further aggravates the credibility of the regime in power.
President Musharraf continues to be viewed as an upright man, but lately some scandals have grossly tarnished that perception. There are many credible evidences of misdeeds committed by the Punjab and Sindh governments.
Then there was this large-scale real estate scam in Lahore DHA, which involved many high ranking members of the khaki establishment, including a 3-star general, who has, as yet, not been held accountable.
There was also the much-publicised scam of Lahore's Gulberg Doongi ground, which required the intervention of the Supreme Court, while the Press cried murder and the Federal government stood by as a silent spectator. Then there was the case of a PIA executive, who gave a false statement in the court, about $175,000, which were overnight deposited in his foreign exchange account in Pakistan.
He later on agreed to return this to NAB, when they took him for questioning. The shamefully reality is that he continues to hold his assignment, courtesy his political godfathers.
In another case of a PIA employee, who while working for a US-based company dealing in aviation spares, signed a contract for supplying airplane parts to PIA, and thereafter was given a senior executive assignment as head of a division in the national airline.
President Musharraf must realise that the perception of the people of Pakistan, that he is straight, forthright and outspoken, needs to be cemented by deeds and not words. People involved in corruption and caught with their hands in the till, must be made accountable and given exemplary punishments, otherwise the findings of the US-based Foreign Affairs magazine, that we are a failed State, will get credence.