CORRUPTION IS A BIG MENACE IN PAKISTAN

By: Baloch, Irfan Ali

SYNOPSIS:

1. Introduction

2. Definition of Corruption

3. Types of Corruption
a) Monetary corruption
b) Non-monetary Corruption
c) Other types

4. How it is Menace in Pakistan

a) Poverty and unemployment
b) Social crimes
c) Inequality
d) Moral decay
e) Economic downfall
f) Severe damage of institutions
g) Frustration

5. Causes of the menace of Corruption in Pakistan

a) Ineffective accountability
b) Lack of transparency
c) Discretionary powers
d) Poor management system
e) Illiteracy
f) Lack of awareness

6. Measures to curb the Threat of Corruption

a) Effective accountability
b) Rule of law
c) Sufficient wages
d) Independence of regularity authorities
e) Independent appointment Commissions
f) Free media and social awareness

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 g) Constitutional policy

7. Conclusion

Essay:

Corruption is an evil in a society that has played havoc and has been hurdle in the socio-
economic-political development of Pakistan. According to the recent survey of Transparency
International, Pakistan has been ranked 34th among the most corrupt countries of the world. This
manifests that corruption is deeply rooted in the veins of the country. In its various forms, it is a
threat of serious concern prevailing in the country giving rise to hazardous social evils like poverty,
unemployment and inequality, as well as moral and substantial economic downfall. The mainsprings
of this serious peril are illiteracy, ineffective accountability, lack of transparency, discretionary powers
and lack of awareness. Though it is an arduous job to exterminate this evil in the country, yet it can be
curbed by taking remedial measures like providing proper education to the masses, maintaining
effective accountability, implementing rule of law, allocating sufficient wages, imparting technical
education and delivering social and religious awareness to the common masses.

The misuse of entrusted power for ones private gains defines corruption. It is any illegal, immoral or
amoral or unethical practice regarding economic, political and social affairs. The corrupt people,
agencies, and organizations take illegal advantages by abusing their power, position and authority.

The illegal advantage is taken in two main forms of corruption i.e. monetary and non-monetary.
Monetary corruption takes into account the misuse of ones authority to acquire money. The
monetary benefits like Bribery and kickbacks are the tools to gain money in this regard. This type of
corruption is widespread in the society as it fulfills the peoples needs and greed. On the other hand,
non-monetary corruption is popular among elite class, since they do not need money but they use
their power and position to get their work done. For this they indulge in favoritism and nepotism.

Apart from monetary and non monetary types, corruption prevails in other types like sporadic,
systemic, political (grand) and moral corruption. Sporadic corruption is an individual corruption and it
does not cause harm to the politics and economy of a country as a whole. Systemic corruption is
generally encompasses social, political and economic sectors. Political corruption is the misuse of
authority by politicians in the form of nepotism or black money. Grand corruption is synonymously

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used with political corruption because it involves corruption in bulk. Finally moral corruption involves
the decay of morality due to peoples materialistic nature.
Corruption in Pakistan has eaten up the inner of common people belonging to all walks, sections,
areas, and classes in the country. Poverty and unemployment are on the rampage in the society.
Corruption has created gap between the poor and the rich. Only few corrupt families in Pakistan enjoy
the greater portion of wealth while the rest of the population has nothing to eat, wear and live.
People in power and authority misuse the funds allocated for development and improvement of social
life of the people. The nations wealth is miserably looted in a haphazard manner. Consequently, this
adversely affects the society since it creates unemployment and poverty.

In addition, corruption breeds social crimes in the society. The evils like poverty and unemployment
compel people to set foot on the path of social crimes like robbery, theft, extortion and exploitation.
According to a report, only in Karachi, above 30,000 snatch cases have been registered, while the
registered ones are countless. Moreover, fifty percent of those cases have been reportedly committed
by the young people. This clearly demonstrates the prevailing of social evils. Thus corruption gives rise
to social crimes.

Besides, inequality is another evil bred up by corruption in Pakistan. Corruption causes severe
violation of basic human rights leading to social unrest. The corrupt class enjoys the lions share in
national wealth, leaving nothing for state to fulfill the needs of the masses equally. The manifestation
of this inequality is what we see happening in the country demonstrations, protests and suicides.

Furthermore, moral decay, another peril due to corruption in the society, has horribly damaged the
ethics of the people. People are denied their basic rights, humanity no more exists, exploitation of the
masses, are at large in the society.

Apart from moral decay, economic downfall, the major threat to the country, is another malevolence
caused by corruption. The growth of economy has been seriously affected by corruption in a sense
that only 20% of people are enjoying 80% of resources and 80% of people are enjoying 20% of
resources. The corrupt leave nothing in national Treasury, causing government to become
economically lame. According to a report, only one percent of the population pays taxes, out of 180

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millions. The departments like police, judiciary, railway, and PEPCO have fallen prey to this menace.
Resultantly the government has fewer funds to invest and trade.

Moreover, severe damage of institutions has been causes by corruption. Nearly every department of
Pakistan is rung with this menace. According to transparency international report, the police
department is leading corrupt department followed by Judiciary. The other victims in this regard
include Railways, Postal, and Excise.

Last but not the least; frustration is the result of all other evils caused by corruption. According to a
report, nearly fifty percent of the suicides have been committed by the young due to poverty and
economic problems. This is the evidence that in Pakistan people, especially the young, are frustrated
leading themselves to crimes and suicides. Only in 2008, 7000 suicides were reported, majority of
them being due to poverty, unemployment and financial problems in Pakistan.

The devil of corruption is at large due to several factors. One of the major causes is ineffective
accountability of people in power. The lack of accountability promotes corruption rampantly. Since,
any organized reliable anticorruption institution is not prevalent, so corrupt people feel secure
without check and balance. People of elite class and feudals try their best to run off accountability to
save their black money. Malpractice is, therefore, in vogue.

Secondly, lack of transparency is another consequential cause of corruption in the society. The corrupt
people and departments show no record of their illegal activities. They pay huge amount of money to
the anticorruption and Audit departments so as to veil their irregularities. Moreover, no organized
transparency institution exists in the country that may conduct transparency.

Thirdly, discretionary powers of Bureaucrats, administrators, and politicians are another cause of
corruption. These powers are highly misused as unskilled people occupy responsible positions.

Fourthly, poor management system is another cause of corruption in the society. The poor
management of institutions has led them to devastation. The lack of teachers in educational
institutions, absence of expert doctors in hospitals, mismanagement of time and work are the
common routine in the unfortunate institutions.

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Fifthly, illiteracy is the prime cause of corruption, which is the main problem being faced in Pakistan.
The misery is that only 2% of GDP is reserved for education. In his recent visit to Pakistan, the British
Envoy to Pakistan said that Pakistan could not develop until and unless it reserved a good portion of
GDP for its education. It is the illiteracy that breeds corruption, in a sense that illiterate people are
unaware of the consequences of corruption both to a society and the country.

Finally, lack of awareness is another major cause of corruption. Social awareness seminars are hardly
conducted to make people aware of the social evils. Lack of social and religious gatherings is also the
mainspring of this corruption.

It is much easy to diagnose the problem of curbing the corruption, analyzing it, and laying it out
explicitly but it is more difficult to prescribe as to what can be done about it. Notwithstanding
mentioning or diagnosing the hallmarks of corruption free policy, there is dire need to pen down
practical measures to remove or root out corruption from the country.

The first remedial measure to curb corruption is effective accountability, which is the dire need of the
hour to curb this menace. The anticorruption department should be made more effective or better to
be reformulated staffing talented young professionals who should conduct effective accountability of
corrupt departments. Similarly, National Accountability Bureau should be made corrupt free in order
to ensure transparency and accountability. Moreover, transparency should be maintained in every
department from lower clerk to head level.

The second measure is to ensure rule of law in the country. Strict laws should be formed and
implemented strictly to curb corruption. All the public servants should be compelled by law to clear
their deskwork within a reasonable time. Failing which they should be punished with deduction from
their delay in work to get some benefit from people. Discretionary powers of officials should be kept
to the minimum and monitored by the respectable citizens. In this way, rule of law can be ensured to
curb corruption.

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The third measure is to provide sufficient wages to the public servants so that they may fulfill their
basic necessities. In addition to that, government should introduce such reforms and policies that
reduces poverty, and provides relief to the unemployed people. In this way, people will not be
compelled to have corruption.

The fourth measure to remove corruption is to ensure the independence of regulatory authorities
such as the banks, Securities and Stock Exchange Commission of Pakistan in order to prevent major
corruption in relation to the financial operations of bank and stock exchanges. Loans must be issued
without politicians pressure.

The fifth measure to curb corruption is to let all appointments be made through independent
commission. No one should be allowed to take out any posts, for whatever reason. The commission
should appoint meritious people through procedure similar to those followed for the appointments of
Supreme Court judges.

The sixth measure to root out this menace is the use of social media. In this regard media should be
made free to expose the real instances of corruption and malpractices and act as pressure group.
Through media, moral and religious awareness should be given to masses to deviate them from
malpractices.

Last but not the least; government should introduce the constitutional policy because corruption is
the most infallible symptom of constitutional liberty. The first task, in this regard, is to control
corruption at upper level, the bottom level will itself be free of corruption.

In a nut shell, corruption is a curse prevailing in the society, which is the hurdle in its progress and
prosperity as it is evident that Pakistan stands 34th position in corrupt countries. Corruption has led
the masses in the country to frustration. The need of the hour is to understand the root causes of this
menace and escape corruption through policies and reforms by the government and having a check
and balance on the very issue. In this way, this country could become a prosperous, developed and a
welfare state.

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