Determined to recover Nigeria’s stolen funds stashed in foreign banks, the Federal Government signed different bilateral agreements with the United Arab Emirates. The agreements were essentially on trade, finance and judicial matters; however, the judicial agreements will enable Transfer of Sentenced Persons, Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal Matters, and Mutual Legal Assistance on Criminal and Commercial Matters, which includes the recovery and repatriation of stolen wealth. Speaking at a reception after the signing of the agreements, President Muhammadu Buhari reiterated his commitment to fighting corruption and restoring Nigeria’s dignity in the comity of nations. Pakistan should also endeavor to sign bilateral agreements with other countries to recover the wealth stashed in foreign banks or invested in the real state or industry by the corrupt politicians or members of bureaucracy. During elections, politicians vow to eliminate corruption from the society, but once in power they forget about those promises.
According to Transparency International report for 2015, corruption in Pakistan has declined and Pakistan improved its ranking from 127 to 117 out of 175 countries. Our ruling elite may be rejoicing over this insignificant improvement in ranking, but the fact is that Pakistan is considered as one of the most corrupt countries of the world. Corruption remains the biggest challenge, as neither concrete measures were ever taken nor the corrupt were prosecuted or punished. In the past, only half-hearted attempts were made to reduce the incidence of corruption. During Ayub era, a number of corruption-tainted politicians were barred from participating in the elections under EBDO, but they were never tried and convicted. During Yahya Khan’s Martial Law, 303 civil servants and government functionaries were summarily dismissed but were not prosecuted. During the Bhutto era, services of around 1100 government employees were terminated without holding any trial against them.
There was a package for the corrupt under Pervez Musharraf’s watch on 30th April 2000, when Central Board of Revenue had announced Tax Amnesty Scheme to legalize all the hidden assets and black money by charging 10 per cent of the undisclosed income earned on or before 30th June 1999. On 1st January 2016, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif launched a “Voluntary Tax Compliance Scheme” for registration of non-filer traders. The scheme allows taxpayers to legalize their black money by paying a nominal 1% tax. One would not find such an example of rewarding the tax evaders and those having plundered the national exchequer. The effort of the ruling elite to hinder the accountability process is also obvious from the recent bill passed by the Sindh government to withdraw cases from the courts including anti-terror courts at any stage of the case to save the corrupt and criminals.
When tax evaders, corrupt and those who amass illegal wealth are rewarded instead of making them an example to deter others from pursuing corrupt practices, corruption will continue to rise. In 1996, Transparency International had declared Pakistan as the second-most corrupt country in the world where corrupt politicians, bureaucrats, black marketers, smugglers, tax evaders and drug mafia were ‘rewarded’ through general amnesty schemes or through opportunities to whiten their black money. The problem is that mostly those who have amassed wealth through illegal means first invest in elections to reach the corridors of power with a view to increasing their wealth. Then they want to be re-elected to protect that ill-gotten wealth. But there is need to take measures to stop unethical and corrupt practices, and to block the corrupt elements’ entry into the corridors of power. But who can bell the cat, when majority of the robber barons sit in the assemblies?
- Latest
- Trending
