NAB Chairman Admiral (Rtd) Fasih Bukhari said at a press conference on Dec 13 that corruption cost the country Rs10 to 12 billion on average.

Prime Minister Raja Peraiz Ashraf, during his visit to Kasur on Dec 16, rejected this figure by saying it exceeded the daily national income and thus the estimated corruption figure for a day given by NAB chief could not be right. In other words, the prime minister is saying that our daily GDP is less than Rs10 to 12 billion. I do not think the prime minister is right.

According to the World Bank report, Pakistan’s GDP for 2011 was $211 billion, which is equivalent to Rs20 trillion converted at the rate of Rs95 to one dollar.

If we divide Rs20 trillion by 365, the daily average of national income of Pakistan comes to Rs55 billion.

I cannot believe the prime minister does not know what the country’s daily GDP is. Perhaps he was misquoted by the press to have said that Pakistan's daily national income is less than Rs10 to 12 billion.

EJAZ AHMAD MAGOON Lahore