Multan: The South Punjab Secretariat and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Multan have agreed to take joint measures to eliminate corruption and ensure transparent and efficient public service delivery in revenue, education, health, local government and other departments across South Punjab.
The decision was taken during a meeting held at the NAB Multan office, chaired jointly by Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab Fuad Hashim Rabbani and NAB Multan Director General Asim Lodhi.
The meeting also agreed to establish a committee for improving public service delivery, set up a joint complaints cell and prepare a South Punjab Corruption Risk Map through mutual cooperation.
Special Secretaries Higher Education and Housing and Urban Development South Punjab Sarfraz Ahmed and Arshad Gopang, Additional Secretary S and GAD South Punjab Zahoor Hussain Bhutta, NAB Directors Rafiullah and Abdul Khaliq, Additional Directors Tauseef Hanif and Muhammad Asghar, and other senior officers attended the meeting. NAB field officers also participated through video link.
Addressing the meeting, ACS South Punjab, Fuad Hashim Rabbani, said that the NAB was playing an important role in combating corruption. He stressed the need for joint efforts to eliminate corruption at its roots and provide future generations with a corruption-free society.
He said cooperation between the South Punjab Secretariat and NAB Multan was essential to effectively control corruption in public institutions. He called for timely identification and removal of mismanagement and loopholes in public service delivery institutions.
The ACS said an effective feedback mechanism would help identify institutional weaknesses and enable timely action against corruption and corrupt elements. He added that creating greater public awareness and strengthening NAB’s image as a service-oriented and approachable institution would help achieve the desired results.
NAB Multan DG Asim Lodhi said the bureau was continuously conducting awareness activities in government institutions, schools, colleges and universities. He said special focus was also being placed on educating students of seminaries across South Punjab about the adverse effects of corruption.
He said corruption in government institutions would not be tolerated and all available resources would be utilized against corrupt elements. With the cooperation of the South Punjab Secretariat, practical measures would be taken to curb corruption across all districts of the region, he concluded.