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  • Angelina Jolie pleas for Pakistan flood aid - AFP September 8, 2010
    CBC.caAngelina Jolie pleas for Pakistan flood aidAFPISLAMABAD — Hollywood star Angelina Jolie urged people on Wednesday to put aside corruption fears and donate cash to help Pakistan's 21 million flood ...Angelina Jolie visits flood victims in PakistanUSA TodayAngelina Jolie Visits Pakistan; Capt. Phil Harris's Sons Get Larger RolesWall Street Jour […]
  • AfPak Daily brief: twin drone strikes slam NW Pakistan - Foreign Policy (blog) September 8, 2010
    Kansas City StarAfPak Daily brief: twin drone strikes slam NW PakistanForeign Policy (blog)The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan have reportedly taken responsibility for the bombing, their fourth claimed attack in the last several days (CNN). ...Poor security to keep more Afghan polls closedThe Associated Pressall 170 news articles » […]
  • Pakistan drone attack, aimed at Haqqani network, kills at least six - Christian Science Monitor September 8, 2010
    Globe and MailPakistan drone attack, aimed at Haqqani network, kills at least sixChristian Science MonitorA suspected US drone attack in Pakistan's tribal region on Wednesday killed at least six people. The target of the strike was the Haqqani network, ...Suspected US missile strike kills 6 in PakistanThe Associated PressDrone Strikes Kill 11 in NW Paki […]
  • Five of family killed in Kohat blast in Pakistan - Sify September 8, 2010
    Telegraph.co.ukFive of family killed in Kohat blast in PakistanSifyFive members of a family were among the 18 victims of Tuesday's blast targeting family quarters in police lines in Kohat city of northwest Pakistan. ...Pakistan bombing kills at least 14Los Angeles TimesCar bomb kills 17 in PakistanPittsburgh Post GazetteCar Bomb Kills at Least 20 in Nor […]
  • Don't burn Qurans, U.S. embassy in Pakistan urges church - CNN September 8, 2010
    CNNDon't burn Qurans, U.S. embassy in Pakistan urges churchCNNIslamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The US Embassy in Pakistan condemned a Florida church's plan to burn the Quran, the Muslim holy book, as "disrespectful, ...and more » […]
  • Random Thoughts on You Know What, and the Twenty20 Attendance winners - The Guardian September 8, 2010
    Telegraph.co.ukRandom Thoughts on You Know What, and the Twenty20 Attendance winnersThe GuardianThen came the corruption allegations against three Pakistan cricketers, a slow-motion car crash on the Gower Peninsula (for me, not the cricketers, ...Pakistan goes down without a fight against EnglandMirror.co.ukEngland v Pakistan: Paul Collingwood hails Twenty20 […]
  • US terror training in Yemen reflects wider program - The Associated Press September 8, 2010
    US terror training in Yemen reflects wider programThe Associated PressThat balancing act has become an administration trademark, funneling millions of dollars in aid and low-profile military trainers to countries like Pakistan ...and more » […]
  • Pakistan manager: No comment on new fixing claims - NDTV.com September 8, 2010
    Sydney Morning HeraldPakistan manager: No comment on new fixing claimsNDTV.comPTI The manager of the Pakistan team has refused to comment on the latest newspaper allegations that two of his players were being investigated for fixing ...Hayden's call to fight corruptionThe AustralianPakistan's paupers missing out on game's richesAFPPakistan mat […]
  • Will Media Setback Silence Mr. Singh? - Wall Street Journal (blog) September 8, 2010
    Moneycontrol.comWill Media Setback Silence Mr. Singh?Wall Street Journal (blog)Beijing is helping to build ports, roads and rails in Pakistan, India's rival, and in other parts of the South Asian region, causing fears in New Delhi of ...“To engage Pakistan does not mean surrender”The HinduChina's Kashmir Gambit Raises Stakes in India-Pakistan Dispu […]
  • Urgency and Creativity Needed in Response to Pakistan Flood - Huffington Post (blog) September 7, 2010
    CBC.caUrgency and Creativity Needed in Response to Pakistan FloodHuffington Post (blog)Besides the staggering human cost of the tragedy the geo-political importance of Pakistan to US security interests cannot be overemphasized. ...Latest Pakistan floods prompt fresh exodus from townsBBC NewsLack of Relief Aid in Pakistan Could be Helping ExtremistsVoice of A […]

Pakistan’s U-Turn on anti-corruption efforts slammed

TiPakistan has taken a U-Turn on anti-corruption efforts, since former President Pervez Musharraf promulgated the National Reconciliation Ordinance two years ago, the global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International said Thursday.In its Global Corruption Report 2009 the TI said that corruption is a “serious problem” in Pakistan, and this position is corroborated by a number of recent studies and reports.

Musharraf, issued the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) on 5 October 2007, fifty-six days after ratification of the UN Convention against Corruption. In many ways this was a setback for anti-corruption measures in Pakistan, as all proceedings under investigation or pending in any court that had been initiated by or involved the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prior to 12 October 1999 were withdrawn and terminated with immediate effect.

The NRO also granted further protection to parliamentarians, as no sitting member of parliament or a provincial assembly can be arrested without taking into consideration the recommendations of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Ethics or the Special Committee of the Provincial Assembly on Ethics. These committees are yet to be formed.

An assessment of Pakistan’s infrastructure implementation capacity was carried out at the request of the government, and the resulting report was published in November 2007 jointly by the World Bank and the planning Commission of Pakistan.

It states that approximately 15 per cent of the cost of corruption lies in procurement, costing the Pakistani development budget (2007/8) over Rs150 billion. Furthermore, the World Bank’s Control of Corruption Indicator in 2007 Ranks Pakistan a mere 21.3 out of 100.

In terms of the business sector, there are a number of measures that indicate that there is a serious issue of
corruption. TI’s Global Corruption Barometer 2006 reported that the impact of corruption on the private
sector was perceived as almost equal to corruption in the public sector; and The Global Competitiveness
Report 2008-2009 ranked Pakistan 101st out of 130 countries and found that respondents pointed to
corruption as the second most problematic factor for doing business in the country, after government
instability.

The instability of the political situation in Pakistan cannot be underestimated as a factor in permitting
corruption in the private sector to flourish. Despite Musharraf’s claim to be committed to fighting
corruption, little headway has been made, and it is still considered to be ‘pervasive and deeply
entrenched’.

Musharraf relinquished military power in late 2007, and his supporters were defeated
in the February 2008 general election by a coalition of the Pakistan People’s Party and Nawaz Sharif’s
Muslim League. Musharraf resigned in August 2008, facing impeachment for alleged crimes including
gross misconduct and violation of the constitution.

The inauguration of the new president, Asif Ali Zardari, on 9 September 2008 ushers in a new era, but not
one without challenges. The new democratically elected government will, therefore, require the immediate
enforcement of good governance and transparency standards to counter the various dire problems facing
Pakistan. There is an increased threat of terrorism, hyperinflation, a reduction in the Karachi Stock
Exchange 100 Index, a sizeable depreciation of the currency, a substantial reduction in foreign currency
reserves and a huge trade deficit inherited from the previous government.

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One Response to “Pakistan’s U-Turn on anti-corruption efforts slammed”

  • Russia new SoleSuperpower says:

    israel, usa and iran secret and hidden partners.

    jewish sponserd revolution coming to pakistan wearing irani ‘khoumeni’ mask.
    1. hanging all the elite class to make average person happy.

    2. giving chance to israel to destroy pakistan’s atomic weapons

    3. will be done under the name of usa before isreal throw usa away like a squashed orange.

    4. victory of secret triangle of usa, isreal, iran

    isreal control world media and control muslim media under the disguise of being shia muslim.

    do u know how many jews live in iran, who visit isreal frequently, n have relatives in isreal

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