QUETTA: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Balochistan has initiated investigation against three incumbent ministers for their alleged involvement in corruption.

Some bureaucrats were also found involved in those corruption cases, said NAB Director General Syed Khalid Iqbal while talking to reporters after a seminar NAB organised here on Wednesday. Government officers, educationists, students and civil society members attended the seminar titled ‘Why bribe is haram’.

“We are verifying complaints received against three ministers about their involvement in corruption,” Mr Iqbal said, adding that inquiry against Grade 20 and 21 officers was now at an advanced stage.

“NAB is not only targeting low grade employees but also investigating sitting ministers and senior bureaucrats. Finding proofs against white-collar crime is an uphill task but the bureau is making every effort in this regard,” he said.

In reply to a question, he said the executive board of NAB Islamabad had recently decided to initiate probe against a former chief minister of Balochistan, Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani, for owning assets beyond his visible sources of income.

Mr Iqbal citing governance issues in health and education sectors said though NAB had no active role in those fields, it was watching procurements and other activities, especially wrongdoing in the purchase of medicines and other items.

The provincial government, he said, had allocated huge funds to health and education sectors and it was now the responsibility of all stakeholders, including legislatures and civil society, to keep an eye on it.

“We are creating awareness with the hope that the youth of today will stand up tomorrow against corruption,” he said.

Earlier, Dr Ataur Rehman, a religious scholar, denouncing corruption, said: “Bribery is haram and considered a serious crime in Sharia.”

Dr Ghulam Rasool, a psychologist, said there were different psychological and moral setbacks in the culture of bribery which damaged the personality of a human being.

“A society adopts bad manners in a culture where bribery is promoted,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 18th , 2014