Islamabad - National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director General (DG) Awareness and Prevention Aliya Rashid yesterday said that corruption is one of the major challenges which must be checked and controlled with determination and resolve at the national level.

Model College for Girls Islamabad F/6 arranged an informative lecture on “Say No to Corruption” – Role of youth, future mothers and house wives. Addressing on the occasion, she said the country would make much faster progress in all fields, if the nation overcomes the menace of corruption. Corruption is a war that cannot be won by a person or institution. It has to be fought by all segments of society.

DG NAB talked about the various forms of corruption and how they are damaging our society and reminded the Quaid-e-Azam words that corruption is a poison and we must put it down with iron hand. She also highlighted the initiatives taken by NAB to create awareness amongst the general public through seminars, talks, books and advertisements.

She emphasised: “Women power against corruption can change the destiny of our country.” Aliya Rashid’s new concept involves women, youth and children in which she explained how there is a tendency for family members to unintentionally create pressures for the family bread winners through their demands for items that become part of developing a luxurious life style. She gave the example when wives and children demand luxury items, it is like telling a husband or father on a wheelchair to run a marathon”.  

Aliya Rashid emphasised that all religions prohibit corruption. She said that every Pakistani realizes that corruption is the mother of all our ills. It has given birth to nepotism and favoritism, and has negated meritocracy, transparency and accountability. The most potent tool to effect radical changes can be our younger generation. Our passionate youth have all the vigour and zeal to take Pakistan to glory and excellence. We can, and we will, win this war.

She also briefed the audience on various initiatives NAB has taken that have been labeled as the first of its kind at global level. These include spreading the message “Say No to Corruption” on postal stamps, utility bills, CNIC carrier papers, driving licenses and newspapers of Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan.

In the end, the students joined her in enthusiastically singing the special song, ‘say no to corruption’ as pledges to help build a corruption free Pakistan.