Talking Points

International Anti-Corruption

 I am very much thankful to the Director General National Accountability

Bureau (NAB) Pakistan for inviting me as Guest of Honour at the

commemoration ceremony of International Anti-corruption Day (Dec. 9).

 Pakistan has been ranked 117th out of 180 countries on Transparency

International’s Corruption Perceived Index (CPI) with a score 32/100

(average 42 for the region, lower the score, higher the corruption). Whereas

our neighbouring countries China, India, and Sri Lanka score higher than

Pakistan claiming 81st, 77th and 91st positions of the composite index. Every

day, corruption cost Pakistan’s economy by Rs. 2 billion (Rs. 730

billion/annum) whereas the total economy of Pakistan is 315bn USD

 Every year we pledge to fight against this menace of corruption at the micro

(individual), meso (institutional) and macro (national) levels but despite all

our efforts, it is unfortunate that the progress towards our goal in minimal

which implicates serious concerns.

 One reason for this, we have made corruption a stereotype -only associated

with monetary embezzlement. There needs to be raised awareness about the

concept, its types and modus operandi of corruption at all spheres of public

life.
 Corruption is a complex social, political and economic phenomenon that

affects all countries. It undermines democratic institutions, slows economic

development and contributes to governmental instability. Corruption attacks

the foundation of democratic institutions by distorting electoral processes,

perverting the rule of law and creating bureaucratic quagmires whose only

reason for existing is the soliciting of bribes.

 Transparency International, an NGO, describes corruption as “the abuse of

entrusted power for private gain”. However, it is more than the abuse of

power; corruption is an exchange of mutual benefits and reward that occurs

voluntarily and takes place by mutual agreement (Park, 2003 cited in Rabl and

Kuhlmann, 2008). It is a violation of norms, thus an immoral behaviour (Van

Duyne, 2001) which includes deviation from legal norms (Khan, 1996) or

moral values (Huberts, Jurkiewicz and Maesschalch, 2008). Corrupt actors

form an intimate, close, and hidden community in which they secretly agree

on the illegal aims and advantages of their exchange relationship (Ru¨gemer,

1996).

 Corruption can be classified as grand, petty and political, depending on the

amounts of money lost and the sector where it occurs.

 Grand corruption consists of acts committed at a high level of government

that distort policies or the central functioning of the state, enabling leaders to

benefit at the expense of the public good.

 Petty corruption refers to everyday abuse of entrusted power by low- and mid-

level public officials in their interactions with ordinary citizens, who often are

trying to access basic goods or services in places like hospitals, schools, police

departments and other agencies.

 Political corruption is a manipulation of policies, institutions and rules of

procedure in the allocation of resources and financing by political decision-

makers, who abuse their position to sustain their power, status and wealth.

 Corruption is endemic in Pakistan: it is both sporadic as well as systematic. It

has permeated into the all spheres of public life including economy,

governance, judiciary, religion, and even culture too. The common forms of

corruption include bribery, embezzlement, fraud, graft, extortion and

blackmail, influence peddling, misuse of official position, conflict of interest,

nepotism, buying votes and illegal financing of political parties, and many

others.

 There is a dire need to create awareness about the shapes, methods and

typologies of corruption among the citizens. There exist at least three schools

of thought on corruption prevention and reduction.

 o First is Interventionism, in which the relevant authorities wait for a

corrupt act to occur and then intervene to capture and punish the

offender.

o Second is Managerialism which advocates the reduction or elimination

of opportunities for corrupt actions by establishing appropriate systems,

procedures and protocols.

o Finally, organizational integrity argues that targeting individuals in the

anti-corruption efforts are less likely to be successful than targeting the

organizational context in which individuals operate. They involve the

integration of an organization’s operational systems, corruption control

strategies and ethical standards so that the norm of ethical behaviour is

created.

 Transparency International has also suggested various step to counter this

menace of corruption, steps include: 1). Effective law enforcement is essential

to ensure the corrupt are punished and break the cycle of impunity, or freedom

from punishment or loss. 2). Reforming public administration and

management structure 3). Promoting transparency and access to information

4). Strengthening citizens’ demand for anti-corruption and empowering them

to hold government accountable is a sustainable approach that helps to build

 mutual trust between citizens and government and 5). Closing international

loopholes in existing laws on money laundering etc.

 However, keeping in view the nature and the severity of the corruption in the

country, we have to take additional special steps; we need to strengthen our

anti-graft agencies. Anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) are key to the fight

against corruption. At their best, these agencies act as a deterrent because they

provide the evidence for the judiciary to take legal action against the corrupt.

But to do this they need to be independent, publicly accountable and well-

funded and staffed.

 Our National Anti-Corruption Strategy, which was developed in 2002, offers

a comprehensive plan for tackling corruption. The executing agency, the

National Accountability Bureau (NAB), is endowed with comprehensive

powers to investigate and prosecute cases. However, a lack of political will,

coupled with the perceived co-option of the judiciary and the arbitrariness of

many anti-corruption proceedings, are major obstacles.

 Besides this, need to motivate youth to lead the change. The median age

in Pakistan is 22 years, with 63% of the population under the age of 25.

Young Pakistanis are globalized, energized and full of ideas. They are

less entrenched in patronage networks, more willing to question existing

realities and better connected than ever before. We need to build an

 ecosystem to support these young change-makers - mentorship,

opportunities, collaborative spaces and communities - and to jointly

maximize their efforts.

 Second, this is about more than creating organizations and enforcing

rules. At the national level, Pakistan now has around half a dozen anti-

corruption bodies, 10 different ombudsmen and a plethora of other

agencies tasked in one way or another with accountability. But

organizations set up to fight graft will not work if they are not aligned with

the relationships, cultural norms and incentives that shape behaviours. If

a dynamic of corruption is entrenched, it is too difficult - and arguably

illogical - for brave individuals to stand-up alone and try and change the

system. They need peers everywhere who will support them. This means

Pakistan must think now about a long-term process to shift mindsets

through investing heavily in civic education, leadership programs and

values-based networks.

 Third, creativity is essential to fighting corruption because many

stakeholders in the existing system are resistant to change. For too long

- driven by an aid system that measures successes based on numbers of

outputs and dollars spent - the response to corruption and patronage has

been training and seminars. But all-day workshops with free lunches are

not a substitute for real change. If we want to bring young people into this
 process effectively, we have to meet them where they are, not where we

want them to be. This means using tools and platforms they enjoy - like

the arts, media, film and technology - and deploying them in interactive

ways. From creative visual arts to ICT collaborative, the potential

intersections of innovation and integrity in Pakistan are easy to find.

 Fourth, bring in the private sector as a key driver to change Pakistan’s

business community is world class, with some incredible, values-based

leaders who operate at the highest levels of global commerce. They lead

companies that are thinking well beyond the bottom-line and draw on

Pakistan’s rich culture of generous philanthropy. They know that integrity

is good for business - ethical companies have higher valuations, lower

costs and less risk. This energy can be harnessed to create a level

playing field for economic development and collaborative efforts to shift

accountability dynamics.

 Finally, accountability requires a positive narrative that Pakistanis can

buy in to and mobilize behind. Pointing fingers and shouting loudly at law-

breakers is an easy way to vent some frustration - and there is no doubt

that these people should be penalized. But when justice is not served the

perception of helplessness is reinforced and momentum in the process

of accountability building is lost. Instead, let’s make sure we celebrate the

 heroes, build on areas where success is clear and work to support those

who are doing the right things

 Building accountability is not about overcoming weaknesses - it is about

a strengths-based approach that draws upon human, institutional, cultural

and economic assets. Short-term fixes and anti-corruption tools might

prove effective in battling graft in isolated ways. But if Pakistan - and other

countries - are to truly create fair and open societies for everyone, it is

going to take a much larger, generational process to build accountability.

The time to start is now.

 I appreciate NAB for organizing such an enlightening session on the eve

of International Anti-corruption day. PHEC extends its fullest support for

raising awareness and launching anti-graft campaigns at its university

campus across Punjab. I believe,

‫ذرہ نم ہو تو یہ مٹی بڑی زرخیز ہے ساقی‬