President said that billions of Pakistani rupees are in Swiss banks. Billions of dollars are stolen from Pakistan and sent abroad while children are begging in the streets

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday said the corrupt elements need to be questioned about their assets and the corruption should be stopped in the country.

He was addressing a ceremony at the President House on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day. The President Alvi said, “the biggest hindrance to Pakistan’s progress is corruption. No society can claim it is safe from corruption. If there is fear of God in the nation then there would be no need of any law and court.”

President said that billions of Pakistani rupees are in Swiss banks. Billions of dollars are stolen from Pakistan and sent abroad while children are begging in the streets, the Radio Pakistan report said.

“There is a negative effect on the society if there is no rule of law, however, for our dream of Naya Pakistan we have to stop the flow of corruption,” the president added.

Arif Alvi further said that the meaning of Naya Pakistan is that there should be a respect of the law. “To eliminate corruption the leaders should be neutral, true and honest,” he added.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Justice (retd) Javaid Iqbal on Sunday said he has been successful in making people in power realise that those involved in corruption will be held accountable.

On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day, Iqbal said, “Governments come and go and no government should feel that NAB is looking at them.”

The accountability watch-dog chairman added, “I have been successful in making people in power realise that those involved in corruption will have to give an answer. It was not very long ago that some people said that NAB was nothing.”

He continued, “when I asked someone I found out that instead of spending Rs 500,000, Rs 5 million were spent and in place of Rs 5 million, Rs 500 million were spent. This is the poor nation’s money. Those who owned 70cc motorbikes, today own huge towers in Dubai.”

“The country is Rs 95 billion in debt and when we look at the ground reality of hospitals, cities and educational institutes we do not see where and how the Rs 95 billion have been spent. What is wrong in asking about it?” Justice (retd) Iqbal questioned.

Speaking about those who have been in power for the last 30 years, the NAB chairman said, “Those people who have been in power for the last 30 to 35 years have forgotten that this is not the Mughal era. The era of the Mughals has passed and now the common man and NAB have the power to question why they have done this. When we ask them, we make sure that no one’s self-respect is hurt.”

Turning towards the bureaucrats, Iqbal said, “The bureaucrats’ loyalty should be with the government. Every bureaucrat should go along with the government’s orders which are according to the law.”

He further said that propaganda was done against NAB.

“Why is it that whenever a department is doing work propaganda is speared against them? NAB is in the parliament. No longer will we take the abuse hurled at us.

“Time is moving forward, we are living in the present and we should make sure our future is better,” he added.

The NAB chief also dismissed reports that those under the custody of the bureau were not being provided medical facilities as “propaganda”. Those in NAB’s custody are provided all facilities including medical, he said.