Corruption in Pakistan Corruption in Pakistan is widespread,[1] particularly in the government and lower levels of police forces.

[2] The country has had a consistently poor ranking at the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index with scores of 2.5 in 2011,[3] 2.3 in 2010,[4] and 2.5 in 2009[5] out of 10.[6] In 2011, Pakistan ranked 134 on the index with 42 countries ranking worse.[7] History Pakistan was created as a result of the partition of India and the British left behind a strong bureaucracy and army. The country was divided again when Eastern Pakistan seceded to form Bangladesh. A factor in this division was that Bengal's elite and ruling class had been Hindus who were displaced by the partition, while the Punjab's rich land-owning class were Muslims and so had retained power.[8] Recent events According to calculations performed by Transparency International, Pakistan has lost an unbelievably high amount, more than Rs8.5 trillion (US $94 billion), in corruption, tax evasion and bad governance during the last four years of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillanis tenure.[9] An adviser of Transparency International acknowledged that "Pakistan does not need even a single penny from the outside world if it effectively checks the menace of corruption and ensures good governance".[9] The Transparency International also noted that the four years of the present regime under Gilani had been the worst in terms of corruption and bad governance in the countrys history. [9] National Accountability Ordinance Individuals convicted under the National Accountability Ordinance are prohibited from holding political office for ten years.
[10]

Corruption by sector Courts Further information: Court system of Pakistan In 2010, 69% of those surveyed reported that they or someone in their household was subjected to an act of corruption when interacting with the judicial system. Of 339 affirmative respondents asked to identify the actors involved in corruption, 119 said court employees, 84 said a public prosecutor, 50 said a witness, 44 said a judge, 29 said an opponent lawyer, 16 said magistrates, and 12 said others.[11][12] Education Further information: Education in Pakistan As of 2010, 24% of those surveyed reported that they themselves or a family member received educational admission through non-normal. The countries biggest issue is presence of non uniform educational system.On one hand there are institutions modeled on western educational system; This system is run by private sector educational institutes that charge fees a ordinary citizen cannot afford. So essentially these institutes are utilized by the elite class( Politicians, Technocrats, Bureaucrats,Business class) .The same is also the reason for deteriorating standards of Public Sector educational institutes.As the elite class only enroll there children in private schools modeled on western institutes. Then there are Government run public schools that face increasing challenges and due to incompetence of consecutive Governments has only accelerated the rate of their decline. Lack of funding, Elite class non utilization, Poor Governance, Under qualified Faculty are some of the reasons for their falling standards. Corruption in education sector is not a novice in Pakistan . Embezzlement of funds, Thousands of ghost schools ( those that only exist in papers), taking bribe to sell confidential material to candidates,Poor utilization of funds, Educational Ministry run by illiterate politicians that lack vision for education. Health care Further information: Health care in Pakistan

In 2010, 42% of surveyed individuals reported gaining access to hospital services by a method other than standard admission, and 48% reported either having to pay additional costs for essential services or being forced to utilize the services of a designated affiliate. Of the respondents who were asked to identify which parties orchestrated the corrupt acts, 61% reported hospital staff, 25% reported doctors, and 13% reported nurses.[12] Law enforcement and the police Further information: Law enforcement in Pakistan Corruption is evident in the lower levels of the police in Pakistan.[2] In fact, many citizens believe that the police is the most corrupt sector of the Pakistani government.[12] In July 2010, the Transparency International noted that the major cause for corruption in this sector was due to the lack of accountability and merit, and low salaries.[2] Payment of bribes in order to escape and avoid charges was also commonplace; 31% of 4,224 respondents reported paying bribes to the police.[12] In 2005, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz ordered an investigation into claims by a 23-year-old woman who alleged that, in retaliation for attempting to reveal police corruption, police falsely detained her for fifteen days and raped her.[13] As of 2010, videos captured of officers taking bribes in various locales such as Peshawar and Quetta have been uploaded to YouTube.[14][15] Public utilities Further information: Electricity sector in Pakistan As of 2002, 96% of surveyed individuals reported corruption issues with electrical utility officials during the past year.[11] The most common types of corruption were billing related. Some consumers admitted to illegally reducing their utility bills, while others reported being harassed with inflated bills intended to solicit bribes. Out of the pool of corruption-affirmative respondents, 71% reported that money was "demanded directly by the actor".[11] Corruption is the prime reason behind the economical unstableness. Corruption has spread into the world and has ruined the economy. Just as a weed spread in the field and affect the yield of the crop. Corruption is the mother of other problem such as unemployment which will be discussed later. According to latest report of Transparency International, Pakistan has been ranked at 42nd number among the most corrupt nations of the world. From clerical staff to higher offices and administrator, all are involved in corruption of one kind or the other. Corruption in government departments is so much deep-rooted that a common concept prevails that the system doesnt let honest people to work peacefully. There is a lack of responsibility due to which wealthy people and those in power are sure that they cant be held responsible for their deeds. So they keep on looting the national treasures and find ways to legalize their black-money. Many corrupt people dont even bother to do that. Sports See also: Pakistan cricket spot-fixing scandal In August 2010, reporters from News of the World orchestrated a sting operation which was able to identify three Pakistani cricket players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and a bookmaker Mazhar Majeed of being complacent in a row over spot-fixing in the fourth England-Pakistan test match at Lord's.[16] The cricketers each received 30 months, one year and six months jail term respectively while the bookmaker received two years and eight months jail term in a verdict issued by the Southwark Crown Court on November 3, 2011.[17][18][19][20] Following these events, on 15 November 2011, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Zaka Ashraf established an anti-corruption unit to prevent players from becoming involved in illegal betting practices.[21] Taxation Further information: Taxation in Pakistan According to the 2002 study, 99% of 256 respondents reported facing corruption of taxation. Furthermore, 32% of respondents reported paying bribes to have their tax assessment lowered, and nearly 14% reported receiving fictitious tax assessments until a bribe was paid.[11] Corruption biggest hurdle in poverty alleviation our correspondent Sunday, September 30, 2012 LAHORE: The biggest hurdles in poverty alleviation are corruption and politicians who do not allow broadening of tax net due to their conflict of interest.

The credibility of the recent survey indicating a sharp increase in poverty in Pakistan is dodgy and their target population and sample space are not substantial as well. The Pakistani political system is based on inequality which creates mass class divides. A massive department in the form of FBR has been established only for 30 percent of tax collection as 70 percent of taxes are collected in advance as presumptive taxes. These views were shared by speakers at the Jang Forum, held in relevance with the recent survey claiming drastic increase of poverty in Pakistan. The guests at the forum were PTI leader Abubaker Virk, former chief economist of Pakistan Dr Pervez Tahir and PPP MNA Yasmeen Rehman. The forum was hosted by Moayyed Jafri and Aslam Pervez. Opening the discussion, Abubaker Virk said that the political system of Pakistan was based on inequality which created economic disparity among the people. He said that, since the creation of the country, no government had expressed serious resolve to alleviate poverty. He mentioned that most of the funds were either consumed in corruption or wasted due to poor planning and poorer execution. The size of government is inversely proportional to welfare of the people, he commented. Dr Pervez Tahir said that the survey had been funded by a donor agency, plus there target population and sample space demanded more credibility. He mentioned that the report claimed that, out of the 20 poorest districts, 16 were from Balochistan. This, he said, was a matter of serious concern. The lack of local government distanced the governance from the people and led to poverty, he mentioned. He said that around $ 3 to 4 billion had been spent on poverty alleviations schemes for rural areas; had this money been spent directly to buy land for them it would have served the purpose better. He was of the view that the current circumstances plus the exaggerated negativity voiced by political rivals and media was repelling all investment from Pakistan. He said there was a need to invest in creating productive individuals by providing education, health and skill to the urban and assets land/livestock to the rural. PPP MNA Yasmeen Rehman also questioned the credibility of the survey and said that a World Bank report recently published claimed that rural economy in Pakistan was flourishing. Global recession and terrorism had caused depleting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan, however there was no reason for the people to become absolutely hopeless. The figures showed clear increase in tax remittances and export of skilled labor during the current government. She identified steep rise in population as one of the key issues which the current government had addressed among its high priorities. She mentioned the Benazir Income Support Program as an internationally lauded and quoted scheme that gave the poor a breather. She was of the view that Balochistans condition had more to do with the inability of the Sardars to ensure trickle down effect for the Balochis as the government had put in extra funding for this purpose only. She said that there was no need for establishment of new institutions to monitor and curtail corruption, the existing ones needed to be reformed and empowered instead. Rampant corruption in Pakistan News & Views Mohammad Jamil 9 Like other developing countries, corruption is not new for Pakistan. It started in an organized manner when some smart migrants or refugees from India at the time of partition filed fake claims and got property allotted in their names in collusion with some members of bureaucracy. Having that said, nobody could raise a finger of accusation towards any of the seven Prime ministers Liaquat Ali Khan, Khawaja Nazimuddin, Muhammad Ali Bogra, Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar, Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, Hussain Shahid Suharwardy and Feroz Khan Noon so far as corruption is concerned. Of course, they were criticized for entering into defence pacts with the US and the West. Looking in hindsight, one could observe the meaninglessness of those pacts, as the allies did not help during 1965 and 1971 wars. Coming back to the subject, former President Ayub Khan and members of his cabinet were clean. The eighth prime minister of Pakistan Z.A. Bhutto, who was honest, kept an eye on members of his cabinet to control corruption. Incidence of corruption, however, enormously increased during Zia era when American dollars flooded the market in the name of Afghan jihad. It is a matter of grave concern that corruption has deeply permeated in every strata of our society. Anyhow, magnitude of corruption by the PPP and PML-N governments in 1990s had no parallel in the history of Pakistan, and it paled before the corruption by some members of civil and military bureaucracy. No wonder that the period was described as a lost decade, and it was in this backdrop that in 1996 Transparency International had declared Pakistan as the second-most corrupt country in the world. There is a perception that politicians invest in the election process to get elected to the assemblies and to enter into corridors of power. The major reason behind this widespread corruption by the politicians and bureaucracy is that it is difficult to control white collar crimes. And therefore, they invariably get away with it and safely come out of the scandals without any punishment. Hardly, there is any political eminence who got punishment for his frauds or scandals during the last 63 years. If there is a will, it is not difficult to unearth the cases of corruption and the assets held by members of the ruling elite. And the easiest way is to compare their income tax returns to see the manifold increase in their assets. But Federal Board of Revenue or Income tax department cannot take any action against these leaders because they are powerful. After overthrowing Nawaz government on 12th October 1999, the then chief executive Pervez Musharraf had unveiled his seven-point agenda which inter alia included across the board accountability of the corrupt elements. People had expected that ill-gotten wealth would be recovered from all those who had looted and plundered the country and exemplary

punishments would be awarded to them so that nobody would dare use his position to rob the wealth of the country in future. But that was not to be. Though National Accountability Bureau did recover a part of the looted money, yet because of its collusion and lackadaisicalness in providing the evidence to the courts or expediency of the government the cases remained pending for over a decade. Pakistans history is replete with instances of corruption, mismanagement and bad governance of the ruling elite. There is no denying that corruption, lawlessness and other social evils exist all over the world, but in Pakistan this malaise has assumed appalling proportions. Of course, corruption in India is not in any case less than in Pakistan; and therefore one would not buy into the logic or accept clich that there is less corruption in democracy. Various governments in the past took some half-hearted measures in a bid to reduce the incidence of corruption. During Ayub era, a number of, what was said, corruption-tainted politicians were barred from participating in the elections under EBDO but they were never tried in the court of law and convicted. During Yahya Khans martial law, 303 civil servants and government functionaries were summarily dismissed but were not prosecuted. During the Bhutto era, services of around 1100 government employees were terminated without holding any trial, with the result that those involved in serious cases of corruption were let off the hook. There was a package for the corrupt offered by then Chief Executive Pervez Musharraf on 30th April 2000, when Central Board of Revenue had announced Tax Amnesty Scheme to legalize all the hidden assets and black money by charging 10 per cent of the undisclosed income earned on or before 30th June 1999. In other words, no government in the past tried to set an example by punishing the corrupt politicians and members of bureaucracy to deter others from pursuing corrupt practices. It has to be said that bureaucracy had guided and aided and abetted the civil or military governments in this regard. In this connection, bureaucracy had misguided the Musharraf government not to act tough because otherwise it would result in flight of capital and the economy will collapse. Secondly, he cobbled together a political party namely PML-Q to get legitimacy. The problem is that in sham democracies of developing countries, people can only cast their votes, as even person from upper middle class cannot afford to take part in elections. Mostly those who have amassed wealth through illegal means can afford the luxury of participating in elections. Such elements first invest to reach the corridors of power with a view to increasing their wealth, and then they want to be re-elected to protect that ill-gotten wealth. But there is need to take measures to stop unethical and corrupt practices, and to block the corrupt elements entry to the corridors of power. But who can bell the cat, when a great majority of the robber barons are sitting in the assemblies? They did not pay taxes due, and opposed every move to impose income tax on income from agriculture. Yet they lead luxurious lives on the indirect taxes paid by the broad section of the people. The controversial NRO was promulgated by former president Pervez Musharraf when late Benazir Bhutto insisted on sterling guarantees to come back to Pakistan to participate in elections, as she did not like to be prosecuted and unseated later. The spirit behind the NRO was indeed national reconciliation and the pretext was that the PPP and the PML-N had instituted cases against each other as a tool of political victimization and vendetta, and the cases were not decided by the courts for more than a decade. After signing the Charter of Democracy with late Benazir Bhutto, Mian Nawaz Sharif had said that the cases instituted during their two stints were framed. Corruption has indeed destroyed the moral fabric of the society, and is also responsible for having brought the country to the brink of economic disaster. The tiny elite, comprising jagirdars, industrial robber barons, bureaucracy and rapacious politicians have kept the complete control over the state, its resources and all levers of power. It should be borne in mind that the semi-feudal, semi-colonial system can neither be endured nor can it be salvaged by cosmetic measures, but only through radical reconstruction programme. The writer is Lahore-based senior journalist. Corruption in Pakistan: how to alleviate it? By Masood.Ur.Rehman Khattak crack February 03, 2012 Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "Beware of bribery for verily it is sheer infidelity, and the briber will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise."[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 104, p. 274, no. 12] Corruption is an evil which has played havoc with the socio-economic development of Pakistan. Corruption is a curse and a major hurdle to the progress of Pakistan. According to the World Bank estimates, more than US$1 trillion is paid in bribes every year and according to one estimate the cross-border flow of proceeds from corruption, criminal activities, and tax evasion is US$3.61 trillion every year, or the equivalent of 3 to 5 percent of the worlds GDP. The African Union has estimated that corruption costs African economies in excess of US$148 billion a year which represents 25% of Africa's GDP. These statistics shows that corruption is not only threat to Pakistan, but it is also a major irritant in the development of countries at global level. Pakistan is facing corruption in almost every sector. There are many types of corruption. Commonly known types are (1) Systemic corruption, (2)-Sporadic (individual) corruption, (3) - Political (Grand) corruption, (4) - Petty corruption, (5) Legal and Moral Corruption. Systemic corruption is an integrated and essential aspect of the economic, social and political system, when it is embedded in a wider situation that helps sustain it. Whereas, sporadic corruption is the opposite of systemic corruption. Sporadic corruption occurs irregularly and therefore it does not threaten the mechanisms of control nor the economy as such.

The third type of corruption is political corruption, which means any transaction between private and public sector actors through which collective goods are illegitimately converted into private-regarding payoffs. Political corruption is often used synonymously with grand or high level corruption, distinguished from bureaucratic or petty corruption because it involves political decision-makers. This type of corruption is common in Pakistan. Petty corruption means a small scale, bureaucratic everyday corruption that takes place at the implementation end of politics, where public officials meet the public. Petty corruption is bribery in connection with the implementation of existing laws, rules and regulations, and thus different from grand or political corruption. Such corruption is very much common in our daily lives. Whether courts, police stations, colleges, hospitals, or any other institution, such corruption is present everywhere in Pakistan. Corruption in Pakistan is rampant; almost every institution is involved in corruption. According to the Transparency International report 2011, Pakistan stands at 34th position in the world. The level of corruption has reached the optimum and it is advisable for the government of Pakistan to take some serious action to root out this menace from society. Corruption has a wide range of implications for the society. Corrupt people being in strong position deprive the poor and weak of their due rights and share. Corruption causes inequity in society and the gap between the rich and the poor increases. It is also regarded as the murder of merit. Corrupt people bypass deserving people and appoint their relatives or supporters to lucrative posts. A Greek statesman Pericles has described corruption in a fascinating way. Fishes live in the sea, as men do on land: the great ones eat up the little ones. In this way, a competent man is deprived of his right. This is one of the reasons that our youth is striving for change in Pakistan. Corruption also causes poverty and unemployment. When deserving people are denied their right then it is obvious that poverty and unemployment will increase. Due to corruption we have a poor infrastructure, roads and buildings. Corrupt contractors use low quality material in the construction of building, roads and bridges, risking the lives of many. The government must take concrete steps to root out this menace from society. Our leaders must read this Hadith and realize this fact that there will be accountability in the life after death. "A ruler who has been entrusted with the affairs of Muslims, but makes no endeavor (for their material and moral uplift) and is not sincerely concerned (for their welfare) will not enter paradise along with them." (Sahih Muslim1:82)

It is necessary for us to first identify the cause of corruption. Only then we can propose remedy for it. The first cause of rapid corruption in Pakistan is lack of accountability. Our institutions like anti-corruption department and National Accountability Bureau- (NAB) are not fully independent. Whether it is military rule or civilian government, these institutions have been influenced and used by both civil and military governments for their personal gains or political victimization of the opponents. One of the major causes of corruption is deviation of people from the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: "If you get something from people because of your position it is bribery. Would you get it if you are not holding that position, or if you stay in your father's house?" The apostle of Allah Almighty has also said: Allah will call us to account how we spend our life, our youth, our wealth and our knowledge. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "Whosoever from you is appointed by us to a position of authority and he conceals from us a needle or something smaller than that, it would be misappropriation (of public funds) and [he] will (have to) produce it on the Day of Judgment." (Sahih Muslim no. 847) Almighty Allah says: "And eat up not one anothers property unjustly (in any illegal way e.g. stealing, robbing, deceiving, etc.), nor give bribery to the rulers (judges before presenting your cases) that you may knowingly eat up a part of the property of others sinfully." (Surah Al-Baqara, Ayat: 188) Holy Quran states: "Corruption (sins and disobedience of Allah, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.), that Allah may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His Pardon)." (Surah Ar-Rum, Ayat :41). The Apostle of Allah (SAW) cursed the one who bribes (rashi) and the one who takes (murtashi). (Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 1595). All these above narrations from Quran and Sunnah clearly assert that there is no place of such sleaze in Islam. A true Muslim would never deviate from the words of Allah, and His Prophet (SAW). Corruption has been denounced by Allah and our prophet and it is binding upon every Muslim to curb this menace.

Pakistani medias fight against corruption: A Case Study for Afghan Media By Mokhtar Wafayi / Haris Bin Aziz Published: July 23, 2012 ISLAMABAD: Since 2002, the Pakistani media has become powerful and independent and the number of private television channels has grown to 89, according to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. Since the introduction of these vibrant TV channels, many major scams have been unveiled by journalists. Notable among them are the Pakistan Steel Mills Rs22 billion scam, NICL case, corruption in Pakistan International Airlines and Pakistan Railways, Hajj corruption case, NATO containers case, rental power projects and the ephedrine quota case. Pakistan and Afghanistan share not only a border but history, culture, religion and societal structure too. Both countries are severely hit by corruption and their media has gained much independence and credibility during the past 10 years. In this scenario, it is widely believed that Afghan journalists can follow footsteps of their fellows in Pakistan where most important among recently unveiled corruption cases is considered Malik Riazs media gate in which the son of Chief Justice of Pakistan is said to have taken money from Malik Riaz to give favourable decisions from the Supreme Court. Malik Riaz case proved that the media can hold the judiciary and even itself accountable, says Javed Chaudhry, columnist and anchorperson working with Express media group. This case, along with missing persons case has established impartiality and credibility of the media in its fight against corruption. Chaudhry feels, like many others in country, that the media in Pakistan has become free and fair during the last decade. The Pakistani media has covered the journey of 100 years in just 10, but their curiosity and thrust for revelation does not end and that is what drives the media. Pakistani media flourished during the last 10 years and the same was the case with Afghanistan. But the question remains whether Pakistani newsmen can become role models for their Afghan counterparts in fighting corruption or not. Chaudhry is optimistic in this regard too. Pakistan and Afghanistan have a common culture, history and social fabric hence the media can play the same role in Afghan society that it played in Pakistan. Ground conditions in Pakistan and Afghanistan are different. Weak political structure, a vulnerable security situation, foreign occupation and economic instability have their impact on every walk of life in our neighbourhood. For the media too, there is no exception to the rule and Afghan medias economic reliance on foreign aid is regarded as the biggest hidden threat. Muhammad Malick, resident editor of The News in Islamabad, says that the pouring in of foreign aid in Afghanistan changes the scenario. Economic independence is the biggest factor in the growth of the media in Pakistan. The private sector here has become strong enough during these years to invest in the media and to get it out of state control, he said. Decreasing the medias reliance on advertisement from the state has given it a chance to become strong and independent. A decade ago, the media was getting 70-75% of its advertisement from the government and only 25-30% from the private sector, but now the equation has reserved, Malick explains. The Afghan media is very young and immature. It is not in their capacity to reveal scandals like the media in Pakistan does, said Afghan journalist Harun Najafizada. A lot of scandals, like the Kabul Bank one, came from the foreign media after which the Afghan media picked it up. The reason is that sources in Afghanistan are not helpful. They prefer to talk to foreign journalists. Najafizada claims that the media in Afghanistan has more potential than the foreign media, provided if it is given time to saturate. We know the culture, the language and can easily become friends with the sources, he added. Lacunas exist on Pakistani medias part too. Most notable is its inability to hold itself accountable and to resist pressure coming from owners of media groups. Mostly journalists succumb to the threats coming from political factions or sometimes they willingly tilt towards yellow journalism and file tabled stories or host planted shows on TV. Matiullah Jan, a senior journalist, tried to highlight the irregularities and corruption within the media but he was stopped due to immense pressure by the owners of media houses and even some journalists associations. Pakistani media is unable to hold itself accountable, he said, adding that the media crosses its limits while giving stories to the judiciary to take notice of. The media and judiciary are interdependent, both went overboard while using each other to increase their strength, Jan said. But even then the Pakistani media can become a model for Afghanistan to eradicate corruption provided it focuses more on journalistic investigation and produces evidence over mere allegations.

This report was written during the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Af-Pak Fellowship 2012 in collaboration with The Express Tribune. More in Pakistan Shaista Zaid last bulletin on PTV News 1969-2012 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed or derived from. Unless otherwise stated, all content is copyrighted 2012 The Express Tribune News Network. Technical feedback? webmaster@tribune.com.pk Corruption in Pakistan Posted on December 31, 2011 by admin786| Leave a comment By: Muhammad Jamil It is a matter of grave concern that corruption has deeply permeated in every strata of our society. Scandals about misappropriation and plundering of billions from the banks and other federal, provincial and semi-government departments abound. However, the Pakistani military has maintained its reputation of being the least corrupt, according to a recent survey released by the Transparency International Pakistan (TIP), as compared to other institutions in the country. In the previous years, the police had topped the surveys. But now, according to TIP, Land Administration has topped the list as the most corrupt department land mafia being one of the major reasons, while the Police Department has been ranked as the second most corrupt institution in the country. Taxation slipped to the third rank from its previous eighth position, the judiciary stepped up into the fourth position from sixth in the previous year, while Customs and Tendering and Contracting Departments have shown alarming increase in the corruption trend. In the past, successive governments had launched anti-corruption campaigns, but to no avail. During the Ayub era, a number of corruption-tainted politicians were barred from participating in the elections under EBDO, but they were neither tried, nor punished. In Yahyas martial law, 303 civil servants and government functionaries were dismissed; however, they were not prosecuted. During Bhuttos era, services of around 1,100 government employees were terminated without holding any trial, and as a result all those involved in serious cases of corruption were let off the hook. Above all, under General (retd) Pervez Musharrafs watch on April 30, 2000, the Central Board of Revenue announced the Tax Amnesty Scheme to legalise all the hidden assets and black money of corrupt politicians and government officials by charging 10 percent of the undisclosed income earned on or before June 30, 1999. In other words, no government had tried to set an example to deter others from pursuing corrupt practices. Needless to say, a semi-feudal and semi-colonial system can neither endure, nor can it be salvaged by cosmetic measures. Therefore, honest and patriotic officials in the government should realise that such measures can and will not produce the desired results; only a radical reconstruction programme can change the situation for the better and they need to make sincere efforts no matter what it takes. According to the list, those who mostly benefited from the NRO belonged to the PPP and its coalition partners. As a result, mainly the PPP has lost its credulity. The question, however, being raised is about the more than 7,600 persons, who got relief under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)? Since the details provided in the list just include 34 politicians and around 220 government servants. Against this backdrop, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court in May 2011 took suo moto notice of all the loans written off by commercial banks between 1971 and 2009 an amount that was more than Rs256 billion over the 28-year period. In October 2011, a commission, headed by Justice (retd) Jamshed Ali Shah, was formed to investigate whether political influence was involved in loan write-off decisions. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), more than Rs256 billion loans were written off from 1971 to 2009 on political basis. So, the apex court directed the banks/DFIs to immediately submit the record of all the remitted, reversed and/or waived-off loans under various categories. Despite this, unfortunately, corruption in Pakistan has not only deprived the national exchequer of its revenues and eroded the profitability of State sector enterprises, but also destroyed the very fabric of the society. Also, it has brought the country on the brink of economic disaster. In 1998, late Dr Mehboobul Haq had estimated tax evasion to the extent of Rs100 billion through the manipulation of accounts, in addition to the tax evasion of around Rs100 billion by the parallel of informal economy. Today, pathetically, the figure is around Rs500 billion. The tiny elite, comprising jagirdars, industrial barons, civil and military bureaucracy, and some rapacious politicians have kept the complete control over the State, its resources and all levers of power. Thus, Pakistanis should not vote for corrupt politicians in the next general elections specifically to rid the country from corruption.

The writer is a freelance columnist. Corruption: Past and present Nazia Nazar 2 It is said, corruption is the mother of all evils; it looks true if we go through the past 60 years history of Pakistan. Corruption has dire consequences; it has not only eaten away a large portion of the national exchequer but also thrown us into the abyss of moral decline. It is a matter of concern that it is not considered as evil but has become a norm in the society. Scandals regarding corruption, misappropriation, plundering of billions from banks and other federal, provincial and semigovernment departments abound. The evolution of corruption is as old as the society evolved from tribal to nation state. Even before partition there were cases of corruption, but emergence of organized corruption has its origin with partition of the subcontinent and birth of this country, when influential people had grabbed properties through bogus claims. Gradually, this social evil took over the entire society, and no concrete steps were ever taken to fight back this menace. President Ayub Khan had promulgated the Elected Bodies Disqualification Order (EBDO) preventing corrupt politicians from taking part in elections but he was least interested in putting the corrupt in the dock. Similarly, during Yahyas era 303 civil servants were sacked on corruption charges without having brought them to the court. During Bhuttos tenure, 1100 corrupt civil servants were fired from their jobs but once again no court proceedings were held in this regard. In the background of Afghan jihad during Zias era, dollars poured as a result of Pak-US alliance, and a large part of it was given to religious oganizations to entice them, but in the process corrupting them. Unfortunately, the democratic governments during the 90s surpassed all the previous regimes in plundering the countrys financial resources, and Pakistan was declared as the 2nd most corrupted country of the world in 1996. In October 1999, General Musharaf overthrew the democratic government on the pretext of inept and corrupt government; other factors beside. He had raised the slogan of corruption-free Pakistan but he proved no more different than his predecessors. His poor governance resulted in the loss of billion of rupees to national treasury due to corruption and mismanagement in some public sector organizations such as Pakistan Steel Mills, Railways, PIA and KESC. Moreover, he had introduced Tax amnesty scheme to legalize the black money of corrupt people in return for 10% money to national treasury. The notorious National Reconciliation Order (NRO) introduced by Pervaiz Musharaf also brought bad name to the country, which had granted immunity to 240 politicians and bureaucrats for their corruption. Such steps proved disastrous to national interests and gave rise to many corrupt practices. Recently, the Transparency International Pakistan has uncovered the corruption of 8500 billion rupees during the current tenure of the present PPP government, which includes corruption in public sector organizations, tax evasion, profligacy of the ruling elite, giving contracts to their lackeys and relatives in violation of the rules. The above facts are undoubtedly heart rendering, but it is also pertinent to mention here that our political class, civil and military bureaucracy, businessmen and industrialists are also equally responsible for this mess. According to a report, Pakistan is bearing the loss of 500 billion annually because of tax evasion while according to State Bank Report, loans worth of 256 billion had been written off from 1970 to 2009. This plunder was carried out in national treasury which is supposed to be spent for the welfare of this state. Had we spent the plundered national wealth for the betterment of this country, Pakistan would have become an economically viable state ensuring stability and sovereignty of the country without interference of US or other foreign forces. Unfortunately, it never took place and now we have come to such a sad state of affairs that corruption has become the gravest hindrance in the way of progress and prosperity of this country. From Zakat department to education, transportation to accountability, not a single institution could be declared as corruption-free in Pakistan. The fact of the matter is that corruption erodes a large portion of our financial resources leaving 60 million people in abject poverty, 55 million without education, more than 10 million as child laborers and 3 million as unemployed. Moreover, corruption is obstructing the way of resolving grave energy crisis in Pakistan, which is otherwise not a big deal. It would not be an exaggeration to say that corruption acts like a disease to paralyze societies; however, strong nations fight back this menace to get rid of it and from its grave consequences. Last year, a wave of protests against corruption was observed in various countries including Brazil, India, China, Russia, Israel, and Cambodia. Slovakia is also going through the same resistance against corruption nowadays. Unfortunately, our rulers have always patronized corruption; and the NRO was the latest instance which was implemented to legitimize the corruption of the elite class. However, Supreme Court of Pakistan Pakistan taking a suo moto notice had annulled the ordinance ab anitio asking the government to reopen all the cases of corruption including the cases against President Zardari, which had been closed under this ordinance. On the other hand, the government seems to be in a confrontational mode, and is procrastinating in implementing of the apex courts orders, and in regard to cases of President Zardari including Swiss Case, taking the plea of constitutional immunity. Let us presume that President Zardari has the immunity, and no legal action could be taken against the head of the state, at least transferring wealth from foreign banks to Pakistan should not be an issue. In addition, the immunity clause puts a question mark on the Islamic nature of our constitution since the early Islamic traditions do not support immunity for any person including a ruler. Holy Prophet was reported to have said that previous nations had been destroyed because they used to punish destitute for a crime and let the rich getting off scot-free.

Moreover, when Hazrat Umar (second Khalifa of early Islamic government) could present himself to be prosecuted by court why cant it be done with our rulers? So far, no one ever tried to amend the immunity clause, which is in direct contradiction to Islamic teachings. The question arises here as to why didnt the religious political parties ever endeavor to revise the unislamic clause of Pakistan constitution despite being in power during Musharafs era? It really leaves one to ponder whether we uphold an Islamic constitution or we have learnt to live with our double standards and hypocrisy? Our heads hang in shame. The writer is a freelance columnist based in Lahore Corruption Pakistan Dips Further Corruption is authority plus monopoly minus transparency.

1. Introduction: A lot of commotion and furore in socio-political circles was triggered when a piece of news was surfaced in National press according to which Pakistans ranking in corruption perception index (that is prepared by Transparency International (TI)) was further deteriorated by five slots this year as compared to the relatively better standing during dictatorial rule of President Musharraf. The most disturbing fact is that it was widely believed and frequently predicted that under the current democratic dispensation the general populace would heave a sigh of relief - that was reeling under the dictatorship of an overweening President and his tailor-made Kings party - but on the contrary, instead of getting any relief, Pakistan has further lost its credibility in the global corruption perception index and that too under the political dispensation. The Government, as often happens, resorted to the time tested imperious approach of stereotypically denying the report and questioning its authenticity. This calls for an impartial enquiry in order to establish the veracity of the conflicting claims of both the parties i.e. the Government and TI. . Furthermore, the purpose of writing this article is to present a comprehensive solution to the menace of corruption that is Good Governance. A simple definition of corruption could be as Corruption is misuse of authority for private gain. It endangers the stability and security of societies, undermines the values of democracy and morality and jeopardises social, economic, and political development. 9th December 2009 is the seventh anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Convention against Corruption UNCAC, which Pakistan has ratified on 11th August 2007. On his election as the first Governor General of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on 11 August 1947, said "one of the biggest curses from which India is suffering - I do not say that other countries are free from it, but, I think, our condition is much worse-is bribery and corruption. That really is a poison. We must put it down with an iron hand and I hope that you will take adequate measures as soon as possible for this Assembly to do so". It is unfortunate that even today we are in the same position. On the TI Corruption Perception Index 2009, Pakistan is the 42nd corrupt country out of 180. 2. Transparency International: (TI) headquartered in Berlin, is an international, non-governmental organization founded by Peter Eigen in May 1993. Its aim is to fight corruption and to raise public awareness. It publishes its Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide, every year. Since 1995, TI has issued an annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI); it also publishes an annual Global Corruption Report, a Global Corruption Barometer and a Bribe Payers Index. TI does not undertake investigations on single cases of corruption or expose individual cases though if that will be set up as criteria our performance will still be impeccable - rather it focuses upon the general perception of corruption in any particular country. , Quaid-i-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on 11 August 1947, said "one of the biggest curses from which India is suffering - I do not say that other countries are free from it, but, I think, our condition is much worse-is bribery and corruption. 3. a. Methodology: The CPI is the most commonly used measure for corruption in countries worldwide. To formulate this index, TI compiles surveys by seeking the views of the businessmen and analysts that how corrupt a country is? It depends upon the perception and not on the actual number of registered cases of corruption because the laws to curb corruption vary from country to country. b. CPI Facts i. The CPI measures perceptions of public sector corruption ii. The CPI is not intended to measure a country's progress over time. It is a snapshot of perceptions of corruption, using data published in the past two years iii. The CPI is a survey of surveys, of experts and business persons, based both in the country and abroad Corruption is a major cause of poverty as well as a barrier to overcoming it. The two scourges feed off each other, locking

these populations in a cycle of misery. Corruption must be vigorously addressed if aid is to make a real difference in freeing people from poverty. - Peter Aigen (TI Chairman) c. Criticism: The CPI is also not without criticism. The main one stems from the difficulty in measuring corruption, which by definition happens behind the scenes. The CPI therefore needs to rely on third-party surveys which have been criticized as potentially unreliable or motivated by vested interests. Data can vary widely depending on the public perception of a country, the completeness of the surveys and the methodology used. The second issue is that data cannot be compared from year to year because TI uses different methodologies and samples every year. This makes it difficult to evaluate the result of new policies. The CPI authors respond by stating that the CPI is meant to measure perception and not "reality". They argue that "perceptions matter in their own right, since... firms and individuals take actions based on perceptions". The 2009 edition scores 180 countries, the same number as the 2008 CPI. The vast majority of the 180 countries included in the 2009 index score below five on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 10 (perceived to have low levels of corruption). 4. Various Forms of Corruption: a. Bribery: The most infamous and crude form of corruption is bribery. It requires two participants: one to give the bribe, and one to take it. it is the gift bestowed to influence the recipient's conduct. b. Trading in influence: Trading in influence, or influence peddling, refers to the situation where a person is selling his/her influence over the decision making process for personal or vested interests e.g. selling of votes by decision makers (MPAs & MNAs) c. d. Graft: While bribery includes an intent to influence or be influenced by another for personal gain, which is often difficult to prove, graft only requires that the official gains something of value, not part of his official pay, when doing his work. Large "gifts" qualify as graft, and most countries have laws against it. (For example, any gift over $200 value made to the President of the United States is considered to be a gift to the Office of the Presidency and not to the President himself. The outgoing President must buy it if he or she wants to keep it.) e. f. Patronage: Patronage refers to favouring supporters, public servants. This may be legitimate, as when a newly elected government changes the top officials in the administration in order to effectively implement its policy but not if the criteria is loyalty and not competence. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. - Lord Acton g. Nepotism & Cronyism: Favouring relatives (nepotism) or personal friends (cronyism) of an official is a form of illegitimate private gain. In our political system, leadership of national and regional parties is often inherited creating a system in which a family holds as centre of power. Almost all the mainstream political parties could be cited as burning examples. h. Electoral Fraud: It is the illegal interference with the electoral process to influence the outcome of elections. Intriguing in Pakistan, which so ever political party forms the central government whether that is PML (Q), PML (N), or PPP wins all the subsequent elections. So no wonder even if MQM, has managed to won 2 seats in Gilgit-Bultatistan region. i. Embezzlement: It is outright theft of entrusted funds or misappropriation of property. j. Kickbacks: It is accepting the bribery in awarding any public contract to a sub-standard bidder. k. Political corruption: it means misusing the decision making authority by the elected or chosen individuals (MPAs and MNAs) to preserve the vested interests of the powerful and influential groups like feudal or industrialists. For example a powerful kidney mafia successfully impeded the promulgation and implementation of Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Ordinance, 2007 for quite a long time. 5. Symbiosis of political instability and corruption: Poor law and order situations partially explains our deteriorating national performance against corruption as fragile, unstable states that are scarred by war and ongoing conflict linger at the bottom of the corruption index. Examples are: Somalia, with a score of 1.1, Afghanistan at 1.3, Myanmar at 1.4 and Sudan tied with Iraq at 1.5. These results demonstrate that countries which are perceived as the most corrupt are also those plagued by long-standing conflicts, which have torn apart their governance infrastructure. Highest scorers in the 2009 CPI are New Zealand at 9.4, Denmark at 9.3, Singapore and Sweden tied at 9.2 and Switzerland at 9.0. These scores reflect political stability, a die-hard commitment to progress and solid, functioning public institutions. India is at 84 and Srilanka is at 97; even Bangladesh has improved its standing and is now at 139. Overall results in the 2009 index are of great concern because corruption continues to lurk where opacity rules, where institutions still need strengthening and where governments have not implemented anti-corruption legal frameworks. Corrupt money must not find safe haven. It is time to put an end to excuses, - Labelle. 6. Efficacy of Anti-Corruption drives (N.A.B etc.): Stemming corruption requires strong oversight by parliaments, a well performing judiciary, independent and properly resourced audit and anti-corruption agencies, vigorous law enforcement, relentless follow up, transparency in public budgets, revenue and aid flows, as well as space for independent media and a

vibrant civil society, said Labelle, an eminent scholar. There is no doubt that the institution of National Accountability Bureau has tried to put up a decent show in fight against corruption but there is also no doubt that it lost its credibility when it started making exceptions to obtain the desired behaviour of the target. Corruption erodes the institutional capacity of government as procedures are disregarded, resources are siphoned off, and public offices are bought and sold -Mr. Shamshad Ahmad, (Dreams Unfulfilled) Critical Analysis: Corruption is inversely proportional to Good governance. So its prevalence, in both scale and scope, points out towards the corresponding absence of Good Governance. We must also keep in mind that the report of TI enjoys a wide respect and an aura of authenticity worldwide. Therefore Instead of debating the authenticity of our exact standing in the impugned report by TI or even refuting it downrightly, better option would be to establish a firm and self executing mechanism against corruption for action speaks louder than words. In order to achieve this, existing structures and state institutions such as Anti-Corruption Commissions and Bureaus should be strengthened and the national Campaigns against corruption, intensified. Unless and until we are committed and relentless in our pursuit, corruption is the cancer that will gobble up all the socio-economic and political achievements of the country. One must beware of ministers who can do nothing without money, and those who want to do everything with money. Indra Ghandi To be continued... Next Part Good Governance Send your comments at Intelligent1pk@gmail.com Muhammad Azmat Farooq (CSP) Corruption, Rampant and Galore What is important is that they are all Pakistan citizens, some accused of criminal acts while others are alleged to have enriched themselves in varying degrees at the states expense. brevity is the soul of wit Friday, January 01, 2010

The 9th December is World Anti-Corruption Day. In Pakistan, this year, interestingly, though ironically, it coincided with painful saga of the notorious NRO which was promulgated by General Musharraf in October 2007 as a shoddy deal to secure his otherwise illegal and unconstitutional re-election as president. More than eight thousand beneficiaries of this politicallymotivated let bygones be bygones defunct law are now facing reopening of their cases in courts of law. This is an evil versus justice standoff and a backhanded effrontery of the privileged class against the poor of their country. Who wins and who loses is a foregone conclusion. Selective "amnesty" to public office-holders facing charges in different corruption and criminal cases between July 1986 and October 1999 in the name of national reconciliation and "political harmony was blatantly discriminatory to the fundamental right of equality of citizens before law and for protection under law as guaranteed under Article 25, and any law inconsistent with fundamental rights conferred in the Constitution shall, to the extent of such inconsistency, be void as per Article 8 of the Constitution. It is not important how many politicians or how many bureaucrats are included in the NRO beneficiaries. What is important is that they are all Pakistan citizens, some accused of criminal acts while others are alleged to have enriched themselves in varying degrees at the states expense. Allowing them amnesty is a circumvention of judicial process and negation of political justice. Even if the applicability of NRO amnesty is extended to include other persons besides public officeholders, the malafide nature of this insidious crime-laundering law would still remain questionable under the Constitution General Musharraf had engineered this deal only to secure for himself an otherwise inadmissible second term as president from the same assemblies that had elected him for his previous term. It was a clever move on his part to kill two birds with one stone. He managed to besmear the image of Pakistan's politicians by showing them as a corrupt kleptocratic class just as he had depicted them in his book "In the Line of Fire." He also neutralised the country's largest political party in his controversial reelection in violation of the Constitution.

There is already an air of excitement all over the country on the prospect of these high-profile cases of corruption and malfeasance coming up in the newly independent judiciarys courts. Everyone wants justice. It is in the public interest that those guilty of corruption are convicted and punished. It is also required by justice that all those who are found falsely implicated in politically-motivated cases are exonerated with honour without any delay. The propriety also demands that pending a decision on these cases, no accused should be holding a public office. Unfortunately, our flawed judicial system has never inspired confidence among the people. A system that cannot deliver quick and fair justice can never remedy the situation. But now that we have an independent judiciary, expectations from the reinstated Chief Justice and his reconstituted superior courts are understandably very high. Everyone wants the NRO-related cases to be decided on merit and legality. It will be of utmost importance and urgency for the nation to have a final decision on NROs legality as a constitutional issue to close this sleazy chapter once for all. . Howsoever controversial and scandalous, the NRO has brought popular focus on high scale corruption in Pakistan, whipping up public wrath on shameless exploitation of state resources by public officials, be they politicians or non-politicians. The people now know the names of looters and plunderers who have been prospering through abuse of power and fraudulent means of extortion, exploitation, patronage, influence-peddling, graft, jobbery and payoffs. In our politics, campaign contributions, kickbacks, defaulting bank-loans and soft money have been a common form of corruption. Ironically, while common man in our country is suffering the worst ever hardship, the plunderers, profiteers, and the looters, murderer and the killers could not have a safer haven anywhere else in the world. No other country is familiar with the normatic practice of forgiving as a matter of rule the elite loan-defaulters and the known highly placed criminals and plunderers of national exchequer. This also clearly puts us at odds with our international obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption which lays down legally binding international anti-corruption codes and measures. The UN Convention against Corruption to which Pakistan is a party constitutes a major instrument of international cooperation in every aspect of the global fight against corruption, including prevention, investigation, and prosecution of offenders. It obliges countries to criminalise not only the basic forms of corruption such as bribery and embezzlement of public funds but also trading in influence and the concealment and laundering of the proceeds of corruption. Instead of providing shady covers to criminal acts, we should have been exploring how to bring our anti-corruption strategies in line with the global anti-corruption normative framework. UNODCs Global Program against Corruption should have been be used as a catalyst and a resource to help implement our own anti-corruption preventive and deterrent measures in both public and private sectors including in high-level financial and political circles. Transparency International this year has placed us among the top most corrupt countries out of a total of 180 countries included in its survey for the year 2009. Our country is today the classic example of ingenuities for bribery, exchange of favours and illegitimate pre-requisites. You scratch my back and Ill scratch yours is the common approach followed by public officials, be they parliamentarians or civil and military officials. Distribution of residential plots to parliamentarians as well as civil and military officials and showering undue postretirement facilities upon senior government servants in the form of state-provided domestic servants, utilities and chauffeurdriven vehicles are no less than gross misappropriation of state resources and assets. On top of it, hefty bonuses and lavish perks and privileges to state-owned banks chiefs are a huge suck dry load on national exchequer. Corruption is not a natural calamity or disaster; it is simply the cold, calculated theft of opportunity from the men, women and children who are least able to protect themselves. Although corruption has wide-ranging deleterious effects on society and governance, its most deadly impact is always on the poor. It undermines democracy, hinders good governance and weakens democratic institutions. It hampers economic growth and sustainable development. When countries improve governance and reduce corruption, they reap a development dividend. But corruption cannot be measured in economic terms alone. Where corruption abounds, society at large suffers. It debilitates the judicial and political systems by weakening the rule of law and silencing the voice of the people. A corrupt judiciary cripples a societys ability to curb corruption. Corruption in elections and in legislative bodies reduces accountability and distorts representation in policymaking; corruption in the judiciary compromises the rule of law; and corruption in public administration results in the unfair provision of services. In every respect, it is a dj vu scenario in our country. The difficulties and sufferings of the poor and the underprivileged have only been aggravating. They are burdened with liabilities that normally belong to the state. Parents pay teachers illegal fees to have their children educated, patients pay extra to get proper health care, citizens give public officials gifts or money to speed up procedures, and drivers bribe police officers to avoid a fine. What many see as simply a way to get things done is, simply and in fact, nothing but a crime.

In Pakistan, corruption has been a source of serious concern from the very beginning of our independent statehood. In his presidential address to the Constituent Assembly on 11 August 1947, Quaid-i-Azam had warned us against what he called the evils of bribery, corruption, black-marketing, nepotism and jobbery. He wanted the government and the Assembly to take adequate measures to put these evils down with an iron-hand. We as a nation have not only failed to grapple with these challenges but are in fact living remorselessly with these problems as an integral part of our society. Governments and the Assemblies have been part of the problem rather than solution. Aversion to the rule of law is endemic. Poor governance is our national hallmark. There is constant erosion of law and order in the country. Crime and corruption are rampant and galore both in scope and scale. The only hope for fixing the fundamentals before it is too late now lies with the Supreme Court. Or shall we wait for a Harry Potter to come and save us? The writer is a former foreign secretary.

Shamshad Ahmad The writer is a former foreign secretary. Corruption Plagues Pakistan The chief actors involved in the game of power politics and corrupt practices are politicians, bureaucrats, judges, retired generals and the powerful industrialists all of them thrive on nepotism, corruption, discrimination and on the cartel and monopolies leaving the poor in the lurch to live in midst of unparalleled difficulties and untold sufferings

The allegations and counter- allegations by the stakeholders plunged deep in the game of politics is causing blistering headaches to the millions of poverty-ridden people of Pakistan. Good governance, the developments backbone in a democratic society, is sadly missing. The peoples expectations after long military rule lie crushed. After the death of Quaidi-Azam, corruption has entrenched deep in our society with its fangs bribery, hoarding, nepotism, and jobbery flourishing since the last six decades. Despondency prevails among the people. With no powerful accountability cell, rule of law, incentives to the poor and the middle class, the nations future remains bleak. Amid this horrid picture, Pakistan politics faces a mysterious situation, a jigsaw, difficult to decipher, with total confusion with even the electronic media coming under the grinder. The politicians are making statements out of spite to cover their skin of the wrongs committed in the past and shamelessly continuing their nefarious trade even today. The picture painted on mere hollow, rhetoric pledges mean little in practice. Shockingly, they remain unabashed at their corrupt tactics and point fingers at their opponents. The chief actors involved in the game of power politics and corrupt practices are politicians, bureaucrats, judges, retired generals and the powerful industrialists all of them thrive on nepotism, corruption, discrimination and on the cartel and monopolies leaving the poor in the lurch to live in midst of unparalleled difficulties and untold sufferings. Lets recall Quaids words on corruption Father of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah while addressing the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in Karachi on August 11, 1947 on the curse of corruption said: One of the biggest curses is bribery and corruption. That really is a poison. We must put that down with an iron hand. Blackmarketing is another curse. A citizen who does blackmarketing, commits, I think, a greater crime than the biggest and most grievous of crimes. These blackmarketeers ought to be very severely punished, because the entire system of control and regulation of foodstuffs and essential commodities, and cause wholesale starvation and want and even death. The next thing (after corruption and bribery) that strikes me is the evil of nepotism and jobbery. I want to make it quite clear that I shall never tolerate any kind of jobbery, nepotism or any influence directly or indirectly brought to bear upon me. Whenever I will find that such a practice is in vogue or is continuing anywhere, low or high, I shall certainly not countenance it. But Father of the Nations words stand forgotten today. The instability of the political situation in Pakistan cannot be underestimated as a factor in permitting corruption in the government and private sectors to flourish. Hard Facts The scandals and corrupt practices in power, sugar, flour and cement industries by the powerful government and opposition politicians is a pathetic picture of gloom. Hardly a day passes when the stories of corruption are not splashed on the print media and the electronic media. The government remains unmoved at the allegations and has failed to take up the issue of

corruption in the National Assembly. The situation has resulted in increasing poverty, making the lives of the people miserable. Sugar price has failed to come down, flour is being sold at a price beyond the reach of common man and inflated electricity bills are a common routine. The strong cartels consisting of the government and opposition legislators happen to own majority of the sugar, flour and cement mills. The mill owners are hoarding their products to keep the prices skyrocketing and to keep the black market flourishing. Recently, opposition leader Faisal Saleh Hayat accused Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf of taking commission in millions in the award of rental power contracts. The facts transpired on a furious TV debate. The minister, however, after a few days sleepless nights woke up to sent a legal notice to Saleh Hayat for levelling what he called false and malicious allegations of taking commission in the award of rental power contracts. The minister also sought either an unconditional apology from the PML-Q leader or Rs1 billion in damages. The notice also clarified that the tariff of Independent Power Limited was 15.99 cent per unit, and not 18.17 cents per unit, as was claimed by the PML-Q leader. The notice said that Mr Hayat had made another false statement that the minister had purchased an expensive flat in London even before rental power plants began operation Even the armed forces or the Defence Ministry shows lack of tranquility in their spending. This was revealed by Dawn that says, The findings of the auditor-general that Rs18.4bn have not been correctly accounted for in the defence ministrys budget of 2006-07 should not really shock anyone. In 2005-06 the irregularities had amounted to Rs26bn a huge leap from Rs1.1bn in 2004-05. But before we start celebrating the decrease this year it should be noted that the irregularities form 18 per cent of the audited spending, which means that the entire budget was not placed before the auditor. The internal auditing done on a test-check basis covered only 12 per cent of the accounts. Although more information may now be revealed in the budget there are still many grey areas with several details not being disclosed, as indicated in the auditor generals report. Secrecy has very often been justified in the name of national security but is used as a cover-up for the ministrys wrongdoings as all accounts are not allowed to come to light. In the age of information, it is no longer possible to hush up such irregularities that only tarnish the image of the men in uniform.

US to make sure every dollar is spent transparently US Presidents Obama's Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke vowed that the US before granting aid to Pakistan will make it sure that each and every dollar is spent transparently on uplift of the people of Pakistan. He said the US government is committed to assist Pakistan in this difficult juncture and will provide all kind of help to bring it out of persisting energy crisis. He said that as now the Kerry-Lugar Bill has been passed in the Senate, Pakistan will get $1.5 billion non-military aid annually. The question arises where are the billions pledge that Islamabad was expecting from the FoDP. How can one expect from any donor to come forward to assist Pakistan from its current financial crisis without strict guarantees, when there hardly exists any law against the acts of corruption by the policy makers, though the poor are caught even on a small bank loan default. The situation is shameful. FoDP takes shelter behind WB The FoDP, a forum which was created by President Zardari to raise billions of dollars for the ailing economy, dumped the issue back into the lap of the World Bank, something which the president had specifically warned against when he launched it a year ago. Zardaris governments credibility is already seriously questioned internationally because of his own as well as many of his governments key players past plagued by serious corruption charges. The Summit leaders including US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed the announcement by the World Bank and the government of Pakistan to establish a Multi-Donor Trust Fund to provide for a coordinated financing mechanism for donor support of areas affected by terrorism, militancy, and extremism, but made no pledges of hard cash directly to Islamabad. Watch Dogs The international watch dogs have painted a poor picture of the prevailing corruption in Pakistan. Corruption in Pakistan has been viewed by many global monitoring agencies with grave concern. Their findings are based on hard facts. Despite the governments claim to be committed to fighting corruption, little headway has been made, and it is still considered to be pervasive and deeply entrenched. The reports released by the monitoring agencies at a time when President Asif Zardari was out in America seeking billions from Friends of Democratic Pakistan proved harmful to the cause of Pakistan, but nobody can deny their credibility. Pakistan among most corrupt nations: TI The lack of anti-graft laws makes Pakistan one of the most corrupt nations in the world and is coming in the way of foreign investments in the country, global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International says in a report published on September 24, 09.

Quoting from a joint World Bank-Planning Commission of Pakistan study on the countrys infrastructure implementation capacity, the TI report says 15 percent of corruption occurs at the procurement stage, costing the exchequer over Rs150 billion. This apart, the World Banks Control of Corruption Indicator in 2007 ranked Pakistan a lowly 21.3 out of 100. Then, the Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009 ranked Pakistan 101 out of 130 countries and found that respondents pointed to corruption as the second most problematic factor for doing business in the country, after government instability. Corruption Perception Index The Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International is given weight by all global agencies like the World Bank, Heritage Foundation and the World Economic Forum. The transparency score of the country improved from one out of full score of 10 in 1996 to 2.53 in 1997. The score improved further to 2.7 in 1998, which proved the highest level in the following decade. During the much-trumpeted period of better governance under Musharraf, the highest transparency score achieved by the country was 2.6 in 2002. Thereafter, the score declined to 2.1 in 2004 and 2005. It, however, improved to 2.5 in 2008. Governance experts point out that even at transparency score of 2.7, Pakistan remained a highly corrupt country as non-transparency or corruption was 73 per cent. At current transparency score of 2.5, corruption stands at 75 per cent. According to the economists, Corruption tactics mean that on every Rs 100 we spend on development, almost Rs 75 is lost in corruption. If corruption is curbed we will need one-fourth of our development budget for the current annual development programme. Corruption jumps 400 pc in 3 years: NCPR Corruption in Pakistan has surged by whopping 400 percent in the last three years, said National Corruption Perception Survey 2009 on June 17, 09. The NCPS conducted by the Pakistan chapter of Transparency International, indicates that overall corruption increased from Rs 45 billion in 2002 to Rs195 billion in 2009. 2002 Surveys are detailed below In the The main feature of the Pakistan National Corruption Perception Survey (NCPS)2009 and ranking in 2006 and opinion of the 5,200 respondents the ranking of 10 government departments are: (1 Rank 1 being the most corrupt and 10 being the least corrupt) 2009 Ranking 1. POLICE 2. POWER 3. HEALTH 4. LAND 5. EDUCATION 6. TAXATION 7. JUDICIARY 8. LOCAL GOVT 9. CUSTOM 10. TENDERING 2006 Ranking 1. POLICE 2. POWER 3. JUDICIARY 4. LAND 5. TAXATION 6. CUSTOM 7. HEALTH 8. EDUCATION 9. RAILWAY 10. BANK 2002 Ranking 1. POLICE 2. POWER 3. TAXATION 4. JUDICIARY 5. CUSTOM 6. HEALTH 7. LAND 8. EDUCATION 9. RAILWAY 10. BANK

Pakistan: National Corruption Perception Survey 2009 shows police and power to be most corrupt institutions

India, China score better The transparency score of India and Pakistan was at almost the same level in 2002. However, India improved governance by 30 per cent to attain a score of 3.4 in 2008 while China which was at Pakistans level in 1997 improved its score to 3.6. That, explained the great leap the economies of these two countries had taken compared with the decline in Pakistan. Corruption during the last 12 months had increased substantially which is reflected in the Corruption Perception Index of TI for 2009. Political dichotomy The political dichotomy between the parties has come to the fore. It is a messed up situation at the cost of the suffering millions. The faces of the corrupt are finally being unmasked. Corruption has brought a bad name to our dear country Pakistan and those who are suffering are the poor people. Millions are rotting in poverty in the society of masked rulers. Its difficult to keep track of, much less name, the men and women who have been caught or let off while indulging in large-scale graft in Pakistan. But the number is bewildering.

Navid Riaz (Late) Corruption and Politics The government has once again interfered in the SC's efforts to force the investigation of the Rs5 billion NICL scam by suspending FIA official, Zafar Qureshi, within 72 hours of his reinstatement. Pakistan A TALE OF EVENTS Monday, August 01, 2011

The government has once again interfered in the Supreme Court's efforts to force the investigation of the Rs5 billion National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) scam by suspending Additional Director General FIA, Zafar Qureshi, within 72 hours of his reinstatement, giving the reason of talking to media without any authority. Earlier, Qureshi had been brought back to head the investigations when the Supreme Court, on July 1, cancelled his transfer orders and forced the government to reassign the multi-billion rupee NICL scam to him. The Supreme Court had also directed the Director General FIA, to provide full assistance to Qureshi in completing the investigation. However, within 24 hours of Qureshis assuming his old assignment, he was removed for talking to the media. In a move to counter development in the NICL case, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Senior Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi met and the PM suspended Zafar Qureshi who is investigating Moonis Elahi, the Pervaiz Elahi's son; Qadir Gilani, the premier's son and Commerce Minister Amin Fahim for their involvement in the scam. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani issued the suspension order after the meeting. While the present regime has never paid heed to misconduct by government officials, Qureshi is the first victim of misconduct, that too on an allegation that could never be proved in black and white. It is feared that if these people are punished, the present coalition will fail to complete its term in office. This approach proves without any doubt that the PPP-PML-Q alliance is a marriage of convenience. Qureshi was deputed by the SC to investigate a case, which would decide the fate of the PPP government since it was because of the NICL case that the Pakistan Muslim League-Q and PPP formed a coalition to bail out Moonis Elahi. The case was of particular importance to the ruling PPP for two reasons. Firstly, it involved Moonis Elahi, the son of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi whose party, Pakistan Muslim LeagueQuaid's support is critical for the government after the withdrawal of MQM backing. Secondly, the executive appears in no mood to accept the precedence of the judiciary directing it on how to run its affairs. However, Moonis Elahi is of the opinion that political rivalry is the major reason behind his case. Consequently on July 2, an Establishment Division enquiry was launched against Zafar Qureshi on the plea of talking to media. His reply was not considered satisfactory by the concerned authorities. Qureshi might face the possibility of being dismissed from service for violating the provisions of the Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules 1973. As the SC ordered the government to again make Qureshi the investigation officer of the NICL probe, the government expelled four FIA officials, who had assisted him in the investigation, from the Punjab and posted them in far-flung areas. While cancelling the notification, after observing patience for a long time, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had stated that the government should not have removed an honest officer from the investigation. He said the officer had recovered Rs1.75 billion from the swindlers and this was a record recovery in any criminal case. Legal experts are of the opinion that Qureshi's suspension is a clear case of contempt of the Supreme Court, an unparalleled defiance to its order and intensification of confrontation between the state institutions. However, only the competent authority (prime minister) is authorised to approve the suspension of an officer of his rank and that while the ministry was only doing procedural matter like issuing notices and formal suspension orders. Another grade-22 officer, Shafqat Naghmi has been appointed the enquiry officer in this case and his appointment could well prove a harbinger of things to come. Qureshi was forcefully awaken from sleep at around 2:30am and was served a notice, asking him to explain his position on the allegation that a news run on TV channels that he wrote a letter to the Director General FIA, asking for the return of four FIA officers who were transferred. It has been reported in the press that a minister summoned Zafar Qureshi and gave him four options: leave the country immediately; go on a long leave; tell the Supreme Court in writing that you cannot continue with the NICL investigation for personal reasons; and, if all the three are not possible, then bail out Moonis Elahi. However, Qureshi categorically told the minister that neither would he go abroad or on a long leave, nor would he write to the Supreme Court and that he would complete the process of investigations impartially, independently and according to law. While the present government has never paid any heed to misconduct by government officials in its tenure, Qureshi is the first victim of misconduct, that too on an allegation that could never be proved in black and white. On the other hand, blueeyed bureaucrats continue to enjoy lucrative posts with documentary evidences of misconduct in their files. The job of the

government is to facilitate and respect the SC's decisions. The single-point agenda of completing its term in office has driven the government from one compromise to the next and from one clash with other institutions to another. Qureshi`s suspension may temporarily give some relief to the Chaudhrys, but is sure to invite the attention of the Supreme Court, which has been trying to create the space for Qureshi to complete his investigation. Surely, there must come a time when enough is enough, when some kind of order has to be restored. Of what use is a government which clings to power at the cost of much that is good and right? In India a government and opposition alliance has been formed against corruption, whereas in our country there is always protection to the corrupt government officials. Pakistan's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), out of 178 countries, jumped from 42 in 2009 to 34 in 2010. By JWT desk JWT Desk Corruption In Pakistan Mother of all ills Pakistan is lagging behind in all spheres of life. This is the outcome of corruption. It has brought Pakistan to the point where it has lost its identity and failed to establish its credibility among the other nations of the world.

Introduction: Definition of corruption Root cause of all ills in Paki stan Socio-economic backwardness.an outcome of corruption Thesis statement leading to conclusion Causes of corruption: Political causes: Absence of culture of accountability Incompetent judiciary Highly centralized economic system Absence of rule of law Punctuated constitutional supremacy Socio- economic causes: High inflation and food prices Meager salaries of government servants Class conflict due to capitalism Evasion of ethical and religious values Nepotism and favoritism Feudalism Impacts of corruption: Pakistan ranked 139th by transparency international Increased crime rates Tarnished image of society and state Discouraging FDI Nepotism. Order of the day NRO Pragmatic ways to curb corruption: Emancipating accountability Need for ethical councelling through education Ensuring meritocracy instead of red tapism Enhancing transparency Increase in salaries of govt. servants Implementing law in its true letter and spirit.

Conclusion. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. One thing must be given preference that it is not the severity of punishment but the certainty of punishment that matters. Corruption is a method and a technique adopted just to bypass the rule of law and engulfing the whole system into socioeconomic turmoil. Furthermore, corruption, being the mother of all ills, gives birth to multifarious problems including nepotism, favouritism and negating meritocracy, transparency and accountability. It is an established fact that the cruelty shows its influence as the rule of law is abrogated. Banking scams, industrialist's monopoly to create baseless crises, bypassing the constitutional supremacy, lavish living styles of the ruling class, foreign tours under the head of national exchequer, general apathy, neglect, carelessness and an attitude of indifference towards national issues are all the outcomes of corruption which is root cause of all evils in the motherland. The poor are sidelined, the rich are bestowed, the needy are ignored and the affluent are delivered. However, the story does not end here. The socio economic situation is much more dubious and gloomy than as expected. Lack of accountability is an outcome of nepotism and favouritism. How can a corrupt person be held accountable by a corrupt authority? All in all the entire unfortunate system is prone to the monster of corruption. In such dismal state of affairs, the question of accountability does not arise. Only lucrative and emotionally charged speeches and pledges can never come up to the expectations of the people. Rule of law is the only option that can pave way for accountability. Moreover, the crippled and dwindling economy and ever-rising levels of inflation are the major source of corruption. The more the prosperous a country, the more the rule of law are followed. But it is quite unfortunate to mention that Pakistan is a country rated in the third world where neither the rule of law prevails nor the economic system is strengthened. The per capita income is significantly low that renders the lower strata of society more prone towards corruption. Incompetent judiciary in terms of not bringing the culprits in to the gallows of law and absence of bringing the corrupt politicians and policy makers to the books is another decisive factor in today's sorry state of affairs. In the same manner the unnecessary delay in deciding the cases of corruption is a clear explanation of the adage: the justice delayed is justice denied. In much the similar fashion, highly centralized economy, breeds conflict amongst the poor and the rich. The growing influence of the privileged class always uses the influential authority to snub the poor people. In such a grim situation, the victims and the upper both use their influence at their maximum extent to have maximum benefit from the opportunity. Thus the capitalism is in the forefront in bringing and paving ways for corruption. Corruption evolves as a result of evasion of ethical and religious norms. Religion always asks the believers to have a solid strive in bringing a moderate society. It agrees in favour of decentralized economy. Regulation of wealth according to rule of law is the motto of Islam.

All the above mentioned factors have brought Pakistan at number 139th among the most corrupt countries of the world. According to CPI report, Pakistan has 2.3 score out of 10 which shows its position very weak while on contrary, New Zealand showed 9.4 out of 10 in the race and toppled the entire scenario. Pakistan on the other hand, is lagging behind in all spheres of life. This is the outcome of corruption that Pakistan has lost its identity and failed to establish its credibility in the whole world. The discussion on corruption in Pakistan would never be complete without having a glance on National Reconciliation Ordinance, a symbol of corruption in Pakistan. It was promulgated by a military dictator to serve his own vested interests. It

freed all the politicians and civil servants until 1990, who were convicted on charges of corruption. PPP and PML (N), the big political giants remained the beneficiaries of this ordinance. Under the provisions of NRO, the civil servants, politicians and major industrialists were given a safe passage to escape from all the charges of corruption and made them free of any sin. NRO, most appropriately can be termed as the law that legitimized corruption in Pakistan. Given the dismal state of affairs, as is evident from all the above-explained short story, there is a stringent need of implementing religious and ethical values, if the nation wants to get out of the clutches of monster like corruption. The religious counseling must be given at all levels so that ethics and values have a strong hold on the characters and actions of the people. Educational reforms based on morality must be given place in the social system. Redtapism, nepotism, favouritism must be eradicated by grooming and nurturing a culture of accountability based on trickledown effect that runs from top to bottom. Independence of judiciary and rule of law can only bring in meritocracy so that talented and high caliber people must be employed at the higher posts. Another pragmatic solution is to increase the salaries of the government servants. Financial satisfaction to all and sundry can bring in a positive change in the society. It forces the workers to follow the principles of morality and honesty. Moreover, the laws must be made strict and their implementation be ensured. Unfortunately, Pakistan is a land of laws which are never implemented. One thing must be given preference that it is not the severity of punishment but the certainty of punishment that matters. Such practices put the things in order and in right directions. Therefore, strict implementation of laws is the only way forward. China after the empowerment of communist party, paved this way for a cause of change. Corruption is social curse that must be ditched. The lawmakers in the parliament must take stringent efforts and evolve practicable strategies to eradicate the mushrooming menace. Rule of law, supremacy of the constitution and independence of judiciary and off course a free and vibrant media being the fourth pillar of the state, must be implemented in true letter and spirit. The accused must be given a cold fist. Time is ripe that drastic measures be taken to get rid of this tsunami of corruption that undoubtedly has torn and destructed our very social and economic fabric. Enough of apathy and negligence, the need of the hour is to join hands on all fronts by all members and areas of society to ouster this curse. If Pakistan wants to run in the race of socio economic development, evils like corruption do not fit in the scenario. The writer is Ist positon holder at CSS 2010 and an academician too She has very kindly agreed to contribute in JWT every month regularly. Dr Quratul Ain Malik (CSP)