ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has said that the government of Pakistan and its institutions are in unison for impartial, transparent and fair accountability of all. Addressing a seminar titled ‘United against Corruption for a Prosperous Pakistan’ organised by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Friday, the president said that fulfilling the requirements of justice should be promoted by discouraging practice of hurling blame and accusations without evidence.
NAB Chairman Justice Javed Iqbal and Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) President of Ahmed Bilal Mehboob also addressed the gathering.
The president emphasised 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.
“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. “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 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.
Published in Daily Times, December 9th 2017.
