Corruption:
Corruption is both a major cause and
a result of poverty around the world. It occurs at all levels of society, from
local and national governments, civil society, judiciary functions, large and
small businesses, military and other services and so on.
Corruption affects the poorest the most, in rich or poor
nations, though all elements of society are affected in some way as corruption
undermines political development, democracy, economic development, the
environment, people’s health and more.
Corruption in Pakistan:
Corruption in Pakistan is the
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.
In previous decade, the 2008–2013 coalition
government led by the Pakistan Peoples Party is
criticized as the most corrupt government in the nation's history. This
led to the sudden decline in corruption in 2013 when the PPP-led government was
voted out from office. Since then, there is a growing need to reform
accountability and anti-corruption policies at higher levels within the state
government.
Brief History:
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 semi-government 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 sub-continent 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 Yahya’s era 303 civil servants were sacked on corruption charges without having brought them to the court.
During Bhutto’s 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 Zia’s 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 country’s financial resources, and Pakistan was declared as the 2nd most corrupted country of the world in 1996.
In October 1999,
General Musharraf 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.
Similarly, during Yahya’s era 303 civil servants were sacked on corruption charges without having brought them to the court.
During Bhutto’s 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 Zia’s 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 country’s financial resources, and Pakistan was declared as the 2nd most corrupted country of the world in 1996.
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 Musharraf also brought bad name to the country, which had
granted immunity to 240 politicians and bureaucrats for their
corruption. Such steps proved disastrous tonational interests and gave rise to
many corrupt practices.
Previously, 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.
Pakistan Corruption Rank:
Pakistan
is the 126 least corrupt nation out of 175 countries, according to the 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by
Transparency International. Corruption Rank in Pakistan averaged 107.42 from
1995 until 2014, reaching an all time high of 144 in 2005 and a record low of
39 in 1995. Corruption Rank in Pakistan is reported by the Transparency
International.
Corruption By Sector:
corruption in health sector:
In
Pakistan the health sector is most ignored by misusing the allocated budgets
and no maintenance. Muhammad (2011) points out the corruption in the health
sector of Pakistan: A cross country survey of the public gauging perceptions of
corruption in public service showed that 95% of the study population perceives
that the health care system is corrupt in Pakistan. Another survey showed that
the frequency of informal payments to public health care providers amongst the
users of services is 96% in Pakistan.
Corruption in education sector:
Corruption in education is a global issue, an objective
comparison between corruption trends in Pakistan and other states reveals
marginal differences in terms of the nature, means and methods. In Pakistan,
corruption in education is institutionalised in such a way that it has become
the norm, whereas in other countries rogue elements are involved in corruption
at the individual level and in a clandestine manner.
There
are more children out
of school in Pakistan (5.5 million) than any country in the world except
Nigeria. But because of corruption, merely investing in the Pakistani education
system is not sufficient; rigorous monitoring and the creation of an
accountable system are needed to make the system fairer and functional.
In the 2010, TI Pakistan reported that
about 23.7% of those surveyed received admission in educational institutions
through non-normal and alternate procedures For a brief time during the
regime of Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan received unprecedented investments in its
higher-education sector – this funding faltered with the arrival of Zardari's
government after 2008.[64] In 2011, Dr Syed Abdul Aziz, director of Hamdard
Institute of Education and Social Sciences declared education as one of the
most corrupt sectors in Pakistan.[65] According to 2013 findings by
Transparency International, factor that contribute to this corrupt culture in
the sector include embezzlement of development funds allocated by the
government, thousands of ghost schools that appear only on paper, bribes taken
to sell confidential material to candidates, poor or under-utilisation of funds
and an inertia to change on the behalf of the education ministry.
.
corruption in police :
According to a public
opinion poll by Transparency International (TI) released on Tuesday, corrupt
practices, especially among the police and government departments, are
perceived to be on the rise in Pakistan
The survey by
Transparency International, a global non-governmental body which studies
bribery and corrupt practices around the world, categorized different sectors
of the Pakistani society including the police, public officials, political
parties, the parliament, medical and health services, the judiciary, the
education system,business and private sectors, non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), the media, military and religious groups over their involvement in
corrupt practices.
Corruption in judiciary:
The rampant nature of corruption in Pakistan judicial system is not
a nascent phenomenon; it has always been a source of humiliation for Pakistan
since its inception over 65 years ago. Pakistan is still struggling with the misuse of power and lack of
political accountability, which has been a significant issue since its
independence. The Judicial system of Pakistan has always groaned under the
pressure from political leadership. The Global Corruption Barometer 2013
reports that almost half of the surveyed households perceive the judiciary to
be 'corrupt' or 'extremely corrupt'. Lower courts remain corrupt, inefficient
and subject to pressure from prominent wealthy, religious and political
figures. Furthermore, there were reports of small-scale facilitation payments
requested by court staff. The Transformation Index 2012 further reports that
the general public has little faith in the legal system, for corruption and bureaucracy
are rampant in the system.
Most Corrupt judge in Pakistan's History:
Shiek Riaz Ahmad is one such black spot on the face of Pakistani
judiciary. Sheikh Riaz Ahmad was a Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of Pakistan from February 1, 2002 to December 31, 2003. He was
elevated to the CJ of Supreme Court of Pakistan on February 1, 2002 by the
military dictator General Pervez Musharraf. Prior to this elevation, he served
as a Judge Supreme Court of Pakistan (1997–2002 He was appointed to the Lahore
High Court by the then Chief Minister Nawaz Sharif. Justice Riaz Ahmad worked
as the Advocate General of the Punjab Province from 1980–84. He was notorious
for being subservient to Nawaz Sharif family.
Justice Ahmad also served as the Member Election Commission of
Pakistan from 1990–93 and played a key role in rigging elections in favour of
Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N, along with Farooq Leghari and Najam Sethi. He was
rewarded by PM Nawaz Sharif by being elevated to the position of CJ LHC in
1997.
Corruption in political parties:
The corrupt politicians in Pakistan put the nation in severe
economic crisis and the nation is still looking for a growth strategy. Our
Economic planners look towards the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other multilateral donors for guidance to
spur growth.
Top 5 list of Most Corrupt Politician Leader of Pakistan :
- Asif Ali Zardari:
Co-chairperson of
Pakistan People’s Party Asif Ali Zardari has topped the list of the most
corrupt politician in Pakistan, arrested on corruption charges in late 1996.
He has been involved in various illegal activities during his tenure from 2008 to 2013 as President of Pakistan.In his tenure, the country has faced lots of issues and one of worst time in history of Pakistan following energy crisis, poverty and other economic failures.
He has been involved in various illegal activities during his tenure from 2008 to 2013 as President of Pakistan.In his tenure, the country has faced lots of issues and one of worst time in history of Pakistan following energy crisis, poverty and other economic failures.
2. Nawaz Sharif:
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif is also one of the
top corrupted politician in Pakistan who along with his brother Shahbaz Sharif
did lots of fake projects.
The chairman of Pakistan Muslim League (N) involved in various illegal activities like money laundering, Favoring Kohinoor Energy Co, Illegal cash finance facility for sugar mills, Bribe offered to ANP’s Senator Qazi Mohammad Anwer, Illegally appoint Chairman Central Board of Revenu, Plundering money from Jahez and Baitul Maal funds and many of other cases but not discussed by any government authorities to accuse him
The chairman of Pakistan Muslim League (N) involved in various illegal activities like money laundering, Favoring Kohinoor Energy Co, Illegal cash finance facility for sugar mills, Bribe offered to ANP’s Senator Qazi Mohammad Anwer, Illegally appoint Chairman Central Board of Revenu, Plundering money from Jahez and Baitul Maal funds and many of other cases but not discussed by any government authorities to accuse him
3. Altaf Hussain:
Pakistan’s most vibrant, vivacious and notorious leader Altaf Hussain led Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) based in Karachi. His resident is in London but rule on city of Karachi following his fearful and criminal activities in Pakistan through organized military hub.
Altaf Hussain is not only a corrupt politician but often involved in activities to collapse the whole country, even linked with international intelligence agencies to continue unrest in Pakistan. He has been accused of several murder cases, money laundering, inciting violence, and ransom of funds, kidnappings and killings of various high profile people.
4. Yousuf Raza Gilani:
Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani is currently
serving as the vice-chairman of the central executive committee of the Pakistan
People’s Party.
The man has left no stone
unturned to collect money and even charged by authorities but no action has
been taken against him instead on having sufficient evidence. Supreme Court of
Pakistan disqualified Yousuf Raza Gilani on charges of contempt and faces jail
but released on bail soon, considered as one of the top corrupt politicians in
Pakistan
5. Shahbaz Sharif:
Mian Shehbaz Sharif is the current chief minister of Punjab
province of Pakistan for the session of 2013 to 2018 while also completed his
last five year tenure from 2008 to 2013 as CM.
Saying him a fine and non corrupt officer is
deept routed in such activities according to sources as he has financed Scheme
called Shahbaz Sharif’s Sasti Roti in which he has made millions of rupees
instead of providing the poor people some reliable facilities. The yellow cab
scheme and other mega projects like jungla bus service are some of schemes from
which he has extracted lot of money but not charged even single time..
Anti Corruption efforts:
Anti corruption Agency:
Background:
Azam
Muhammad Ali Jinnah identified the first priority of his government as
maintenance of Law and order. He In his historical address to the first
Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11th August, 1947, the Quaid-e-defined the
second duty in the following words:-
“One of the biggest curse 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”
(Quaid-e-Azam, 11th August, 1947)
Unfortunately, in the last 62 years, nobody gave any importance to these golden words of the Quaid. Some efforts were made for combating the menace of corruption but lacked the will of the government and politicians. Today this corruption has become the root cause of all the evils and it is affecting all the individuals in the country. This corruption, nepotism and favourism have ruined all the institutions of our country. Institutions like police and judiciary, which is responsible for providing justice to the innocent people, provides justice to the influential people of our country. Owing to that reason, there has been a significant upsurge in corruption during 1985-1995.
Now it is the time for understanding what is the role of anti-corruption organizations?
“One of the biggest curse 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”
(Quaid-e-Azam, 11th August, 1947)
Unfortunately, in the last 62 years, nobody gave any importance to these golden words of the Quaid. Some efforts were made for combating the menace of corruption but lacked the will of the government and politicians. Today this corruption has become the root cause of all the evils and it is affecting all the individuals in the country. This corruption, nepotism and favourism have ruined all the institutions of our country. Institutions like police and judiciary, which is responsible for providing justice to the innocent people, provides justice to the influential people of our country. Owing to that reason, there has been a significant upsurge in corruption during 1985-1995.
Now it is the time for understanding what is the role of anti-corruption organizations?
Anti Corruption Agency:
Definition:
“Anti” means against and we know what corruption is. Since there is no
universally accepted definition of anti-corruption, so all the agencies or
departments (whether government organizations or private firms) working for
curbing corruption in their respective fields of interest are known as
anti-corruption agencies.
For many years, the anti-corruption policy makers were thinking of establishing law and enforcement agencies to deal with corruption. The people of Pakistan also advocated the establishment of such agencies and hence some agencies came into existence with the primary (or some with the secondary) role of curbing corruption in Pakistan.
Today Pakistan has six anti-corruption agencies, two at the federal level and four at the provincial level. In addition to these agencies there are three laws and three sets of courts related to anti-corruption. The agencies at the federal level are the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and at the provincial level we have Anti Corruption Establishments (ACEs). Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) 1860 (sections 160-165), Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) 1947 and the NAB Ordinance 1999 are the three laws and Accountability Courts and the Central and Provincial Special Courts are the three sets of courts.
For many years, the anti-corruption policy makers were thinking of establishing law and enforcement agencies to deal with corruption. The people of Pakistan also advocated the establishment of such agencies and hence some agencies came into existence with the primary (or some with the secondary) role of curbing corruption in Pakistan.
Today Pakistan has six anti-corruption agencies, two at the federal level and four at the provincial level. In addition to these agencies there are three laws and three sets of courts related to anti-corruption. The agencies at the federal level are the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and at the provincial level we have Anti Corruption Establishments (ACEs). Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) 1860 (sections 160-165), Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) 1947 and the NAB Ordinance 1999 are the three laws and Accountability Courts and the Central and Provincial Special Courts are the three sets of courts.
National Accountability Bureau:
The most effective and controversial anti-corruption agency is the
National Accountability Bureau.
The National Accountability Bureau is the leading anti-corruption agency of Pakistan. It is charged with the task of eradication of corruption in the country. Initially corruption was eradicated by the means of force only but later on NAB adopted a three pronged strategy for curbing corruption. It operates under the National Accountability Ordinance-1999 (NAO) and takes action against all those offences falling within the NAO.
The cases prepared by NAB are tried by Accountability Courts.
Before discussing the strengths and weaknesses of NAB, it is important to take a look at NAO and NACS.
The National Accountability Bureau is the leading anti-corruption agency of Pakistan. It is charged with the task of eradication of corruption in the country. Initially corruption was eradicated by the means of force only but later on NAB adopted a three pronged strategy for curbing corruption. It operates under the National Accountability Ordinance-1999 (NAO) and takes action against all those offences falling within the NAO.
The cases prepared by NAB are tried by Accountability Courts.
Before discussing the strengths and weaknesses of NAB, it is important to take a look at NAO and NACS.
National Accountability Ordinance,1999:
Soon after taking over in 1999, General Pervaiz Musharraf announced
his seven points agenda which included the resurgence of the economy,
reinstatement of law and order, dispensation of speedy justice and swift and
across–the-board accountability. Hence the National Accountability Ordinance
(NAO) came into existence. The NAO is the most comprehensive piece of
legislation to date in Pakistan for controlling corruption but at the same time
it gives NAB extraordinary powers. Following are the few powers that NAO gives
to the NAB
Prevention of Corruption Acts: 1947, 1950 and 1958:
The Prevention of Corruption Act,
1947 implemented in the Dominion of Pakistan was enacted to
make effective provisions for the prevention of bribery and corruption of
public servants, particularly in the bureaucratic administration. The
autonomous Princely State of Bahawalpur adopted its own version of
the act, namely theBahawalpur Prevention of Corruption Act, 1950.
In 1955, an accord was signed between Nawab Sadeq Mohammad Khan V and Lt Gen Ghulam Muhammad Malikwhich made the state of Bahawalpur
a part of the province of West Pakistan. This geopolitical change
meant that the original act needed amendments to include Bahawalpur and other
regions which were originally left out of the act. Subsequently in October
1958, an ordinance was passed to extend the act to the whole of the province of
West Pakistan – this is known as the Prevention of Corruption Act
(West Pakistan Extension) Ordinance, 1958. This ordinance extended
the scope of the original to the districts of Karat, Kharan, Makran and Lasbela and
also repealed the Bahawalpur Prevention of Corruption Act, 1950.
Provincial legislation against corruption:
The provincial governments of Pakistan are responsible for legislations in
their respective provinces and since 2013, there has been several legislative
efforts against corruption, primarily in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Following is a list of recent anti-corruption
legislations:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
anti-corruption legislations:
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to
Information Bill was
passed in the provincial assembly on 31 October 2013. It was enacted throughout
the province by the Governor
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on
4 November 2013 as theKhyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act, 2013. The
legislation makes way for provisions that add transparency to the various
functions and departments of the government. It gives the citizens of the
province the right to access any information or record held by a public
body, except for the information that is sensitive to the security of the
state.
