ISLAMABAD: Social and family pressure is one of the major reasons behind corruption in the country. So there is a need to create awareness among women and children and convince them to play their role against the menace.

This was stated by Aliya Rashid, the director general Awareness and Prevention Division of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), during a lecture at the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS).

She claimed that women and children pushed their husbands and fathers to buy things such as cars, houses, mobile phones etc., just to compete with relatives or neighbours.

“It is nothing but pushing a person sitting on a wheelchair to run. As every man wants to become a hero in the eyes of his wife and children, they try to fulfil the demands of their family members by using fair and unfair means,” she said.

NAB official says social, family pressure is one of the major reasons behind corruption in society

“If we keep hammering the word ‘Say no to corruption’, people will definitely help stop it,” she said.

To prove her point, Ms Aliya narrated an incident and said about two years ago she was walking in the F-9 Park when she came across four youngsters beating and abusing each other.

“I started offering prayers near the youngsters. Suddenly, I felt that the fight had stopped and one of the youngsters was asking the others not to make noise and not to try to pass in front of the aunty offering prayers,” she said.

“It happened because mothers and grandmothers tell children to keep silent while someone is offering prayers. If we convince the mothers and grandmothers to tell their children that corruption should be stopped, it will surely work and the menace can be eradicated from society in a few years,” she claimed.

She also held the weak system in the country responsible for promoting corruption, adding in the developed countries people have to be very intelligent to do corruption but in Pakistan because of the weak system a person does not need to be intelligent for it.

“Corrupt people should be sent to jail but preventing the menace is more important. That is why we have been trying to convince people that they should discourage corruption. We have been writing the message on everything to ensure that people see it throughout the day,” she said.

Ms Aliya said the message, ‘Say no to corruption’ had been written on postage stamps, utility bills, CNIC papers, driving licences, ATMs, railway tickets, postal envelopes, airport screens and newspapers in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.

A storybook, “Gogi Says No to Corruption” and colouring books for primary level have also been printed for children. The message is displayed in all cinema halls too.

She suggested to the Ministry of NHS to play its role in printing the message on the packets of medicines and the inner side of cigarette packets.

After the lecture, Secretary NHS Ayub Sheikh constituted two committees to discuss the proposal to display “Say no to corruption” message.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2016