President
Mamnoon Hussain has said that eradication of corruption echoes in the voice of
the Pakistani nation and the Government of Pakistan and its institutions are in
unison for impartial, transparent and fair accountability in the country.
He added the tradition of fulfilling the requirements of justice should be
promoted by discouraging practice of hurling blame and accusations without
evidence and rule of law should be maintained.
The President said this
while addressing a Seminar titled “United against Corruption for a Prosperous
Pakistan” organized by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at the
Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad on Friday. Chairman NAB
Justice ® Javed Iqbal and President of PILDAT Ahmed Bilal Mehboob also
addressed the gathering.
The President emphasized
that it is necessary to ensure the rule of law because when the powerful in
different segments of the society plunder national resources, the economic,
political and social rights of the people are usurped. This weakens the
commitment of an ordinary and poor person towards his country and can drive him
to commit mistakes in desperation, he added.
The President underlined
that in any society crime originates in such situations which gradually
destroys the whole social system. Bad habits are hard to find in those
societies which are sensitive about morality and try to meet the future
requirements by maintaining moral values in upbringing of their new
generations, he added.He highlighted that this secret was
revealed to the world after centuries of experiments and efforts. He pointed
out that we are fortunate that this is the basis of our religious beliefs, and
our ancestors were those who never used official resources for their personal
work. He stressed that the temperament of Pakistani society is still the same
but this virtue can be meaningful only if the lawbreaking elements are brought
to justice by ensuring rule of law in the country. Pakistani people are
desirous of such a society in which everyone has equal rights and none usurp
the rights of others, he said. The President underscored that when a nation
reaches this level of realization then it is necessary to respect its
sentiments by turning it into a positive force in order to save it from
despondency. He further stated that it was the reason, he laid maximum stress
on eliminating corruption after assuming his current responsibilities. He added
that corruption has decreased in national institutions during this period which
has also been acknowledged by the international institutions. He said that it
is a very encouraging development at the national level which should be valued.
The President stated
that during the last few years the tradition to ensure good governance,
transparency in economic affairs and accountability has grown in Pakistan. He
hoped that matters will further improve with the support of people. This is
imperative for stability of the economy, prosperity and availing optimal
benefits from grand projects like China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he said.
Representative
of the UNODC in Pakistan Cesar Guedes said that Pakistan has achieved
significant achievements with regard to the eradication of corruption. He also
read the message of the UN Secretary-General on the occasion.
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