Lahore, February 21, 2023 (PPI-OT):Corruption is a complex social, political, and economic phenomenon that undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development, and leads to political instability. To combat this social evil, the United Nations (UN) marked December 9 as “International Anti-Corruption Day.” This day is meant to raise awareness and mobilise people to stand against corruption. The Lahore Business School (LBS) at the University of Lahore (UOL) pitched in its efforts in the fight against corruption.
LBS organised an awareness walk and seminar to mark International Anti-Corruption Day. Mr Mian Shahid Nadeem (Bureau Chief 92 News and Senior Vice President PUJ) and Mr Zain Ali Qureshi (Columnist, Legal Expert, Banking, and Cyber Crime) spoke about the heinous societal impact of corruption.
While defining what corruption is, Mr Nadeem highlighted various types of corruption and rendered moral corruption as the foundation for all other types of corruption. He shared statistics on corruption-related FIRs lodged against various government officers while shedding light on monetary corruption. “This year, nearly 3320 corruption investigations were launched, and 2681 officers were convicted of corruption,” he revealed.
Mr Qureshi linked corruption with greed and insecurities of the people, and argued that people who are greedy for money, violate work ethics and use dishonest methods to obtain it. Highlighting the reasons for the prevalence of corruption in the society, Mr Qureshi brought the accountability system to light. “Due to lack of an effective accountability system, the money looters remain adamant in their dishonest practices,” he said. He also attributed corruption to the inefficacy of educational institutes to instil moral values amongst students, who, when they enter the job market, get indulged in unfair and corrupt practices.
While making recommendations, he emphasised the importance of educators in instilling moral values in students and establishing a strong accountability and punishment system. Apart from the invited speakers, other faculty members of LBS, including Dr Naveed Anwer (Assistant Professor) and Ms Fozia Ahsan Rao (Lecturer), also shared their enlightening thoughts.
During the walk, the faculty and students raised awareness against corruption by holding hand-made, illustrative placards. The organisers of the seminar were awarded certificates as an acknowledgement of their efforts; students who won the poster competition themed on anti-corruption were also given awards; and shields were presented to the guest speakers.
For more information, contact:
The University of Lahore
1 – KM Defence Road, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-111-865-865, +92-42-35322501 +92-42-35321761
Email: info@uol.edu.pk
Website: www.uol.edu.pk