Corruption, Terrorism, Media (Pakistan)

12 years ago | Posted in: Latest Politics News | 762 Views

Islamabad – It is corruption that won’t let Pakistan get out of trouble. The international community is realizing this fact now. And the sooner Pakistani media gets serious in checking corruption, the sooner can we expect seeing the country in a better position.
After years of obsession with the issue of terrorism, finally the international community has spotted the long-ignored and less-talked-about plague of corruption that is the main cause of Pakistan’s downfall. In a recent statement, European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Jan De Kok has regarded unchecked corruption as the biggest threat to
Pakistan’s economy, bigger even than the security situation. Media quoted De Kok as “Corruption is a greater impediment to investment than deteriorating security and law and order.” He told that foreign investors had to give up contracts of investment in Pakistan because of the corruption prevalent in the country. De Kok’s statement has reminded the Pakistan that it cannot expect its economy to get better, let alone prosper, without adopting solid measures against corruption.
The implications of De Kok’s statement here must not, however, be confined to the corporate sector only. It is common knowledge in media sources now that corruption worth billions is reported in all major institutions of the state and yet few cases of just accountability make news. Whether it is education, health, military, railway, water and power, or any other sector, and whether it is the government or the non-government/private sector, corruption and misappropriation of funds seem to be the rule rather than exception.
The ineffectiveness of an accountability system (if there is one) has resulted in particular individuals/groups growing boundlessly at the expanse of the state. And yet it is only recently, in the past few years, that the issue of corruption has been taken up by the media in a ‘thrilling’ way. Terrorism is always thrilling to the audience, always a sensation.
That is the main reason media is bursting with coverage of terrorist acts. The value placed on life is the reason why everybody wants to know (some religiously so) how many died or injured in what explosion. The Pakistani nation is still oblivious to the fact that misappropriated funds/sources can be the main funding source, the primary breeding ground, of the terrorists that make their bones chill with every explosion or suicide attack. The poor children in the hospital lose life to neglect and lack of effective emergency aid because of irregularity in services and/or misappropriation of the hospital’s funds. Even the incompetent personnel, whether in health or education or security, are the legacy of corruption. Will the Pakistani media wake up now to realize that corruption is a bigger threat than terrorism? A patriotic Pakistani will hope so with his heart and soul. And hopefully, the current democratic government, being the representative of the nation, will step up to the issue with a stern determination to garb the corrupt in the neck and make them pay what they have been paid for but which they never used rightfully.
Ref: (Digital Journal)

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