'Corruption in development projects a heinous crime'

Federal Minister for Environment and Local Government Syed Wajid Hussain Bukhari has said that corruption in development projects is a heinous crime and people involved in this practice must be given exemplary punishment.
"It is responsibility of the government to mobilise people against the corruption as its eradication is one of the top most priorities of the caretaker set up", the minister said while addressing at a seminar on "Eradication of corruption at the lower level/grassroots level of the Local Government System" organised by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day on Thursday.
City District Nazim, Raja Javed Ikhlas, Director General NAB Rawalpindi Rear Admiral Pervaiz Asghar, Naeemul Haq, Member, National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) and DCO Irfan Ellahi addressed the seminar and highlighted the loopholes in the system.
It is a good omen that President Musharraf has introduced a transparent local body system in the country through devolution of power and empowered the people to resolve their basic problems at the grassroots level. The prudent financial discipline during last eight years has brought the corruption graph to its lowest ebb, he said.
He said that the people involved in plundering national wealth have no right to get elected and sit in assemblies. They would never be excused as corruption is the biggest crime due to which not only the whole nation but coming generations of the country would suffer, he added.
Addressing the seminar, the Director General NAB Rawalpindi Rear Admiral Pervaiz Asghar said that the NAB is not empowered to look into the election related matters but it will monitor involvement of local government institutions in the upcoming general elections.
"All the high profile cases including Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto are being directly handled by central office and by special operation cell of the bureau", the director general said while talking to reporters.
He told reporters that NAB has some restrictions and constitutional limits. "We cannot go beyond these limits for which many things remain out of our reach", he said.
He said that the NAB has received application regarding corruption at local governments level in which one Tehsil Nazim and many union council Nazims belonging to Rawalpindi district have been nominated. Before completion of the investigation and collection of evidences their names would not be disclosed, he added.
Pervaiz Asghar admitted that poor enforcement was main cause, which encourages the corruption and corrupt-practices on all levels. "NAB is not sole institution to eradicate corruption from the society, all other institutions must play their role and discharge their national duties", he said.
He said due to lack of investigation staff, NAB is not in a position to deal all such cases. But, he said that 100 percent complaints against corruption are being entertained. "We are sending complaints to other relevant organisations for investigation", he said.