CORRUPTION

corruption

“CORRUPTION IS THE ABUSE OF ENTRUSTED POWER FOR PRIVATE GAIN. IT HURTS EVERYONE WHO DEPENDS ON THE INTEGRITY OF PEOPLE IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY”

The scourge of corruption and white-collar crimes has become a cause of serious concern. Corruption is a menace that can never be eliminated completely from society. Some traces of corruption always exist in every society. The extent of such corruption in each is inversely proportional to the level of justice, accountability and indiscriminate application of law. As long as injustice and poverty prevail one cannot hope to eradicate corruption. A society based on the rule of law and equality caters for the genuine needs and wants of its members. But a society where the rule of law is absent, the vacuum is filled by the rule of nuisance value. The rights, privileges and respect in such a society depend upon how much you can browbeat a man or woman. One may acquire an official position by virtue of which one is able to cause harm to others or to give them favor and advantage. 

Corruption is not a simple phenomenon. It is a complex structure of many forms prevalent in our society at different levels starting from a ruler to a layman. The first type is “speed money”. Speed money is used to move the file quickly, to combat inefficiency and red-tapism both planned and inherent. The second type is “collusive corruption” in interpreting existing laws and regulations, and in formulating new laws or amending existing ones to provide benefits to an individual or a certain group. The third type is sanctioning and writing-off heavy loans by the banking authorities without proper or any analysis. Nonpayment of taxes is the fourth category. All rulers, officials and businessmen are defamed for their tax evasion. CBR officials, themselves provide consultation for evading taxes against their palm greasing. Businessmen, industrialists, traders, importers and exporters take full advantage of this blessing. They save duties by over and under invoicing of their imports and exports, while growers and manufacturers within the country seek subsidies for their sole benefits. It is a brief view of the forms of corruption. State-sponsored and private profit based bonds and schemes for extortion of money and whitener schemes of money raised by smuggling, drug-trafficking etc. are some other examples. Allotment of plots, arable lands and pastures to their favorites and high-ranking officials are another form of corruption. Discretionary powers of bureaucrats to use public sector funds for development schemes and unaccountable financial pools of other law-enforcement agencies are the other side of the picture. Issuing licenses, providing securities in the form of patronage and subsidies to their near and dear ones are also common practices of the rulers and officials in Pakistan. Commissions, favours and grafts demanded by the rulers, ministers, secretaries and heads of the institutions are the latest inventions. Both Benazir and Nawaz Shrief governments were dismissed with the charges of wholesale corruption, extortion of money and abuse of powers.