WE live in a part of the world that has been suffering the fallout from corruption for decades.

Part of this epidemic can be attributed to the ineffective implementation of the laws and partly to the faulty framework of laws itself that underpins these woes.

Section 25 of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 permits the accused to return the ill-gotten assets, for which one has been charged by NAB, and in return be released after being absolutely absolved of all the crimes committed in what is referred to as “voluntary return”.

In a country where corruption is ubiquitous, it is high time that we undid such lenient laws, which fail to award punishment to perpetrators whose actions are destroying the fabric of society.

We should introduce and also strictly implement laws that keep people from eyeing the public’s hard-earned money and also discourage those in the upper echelons of society from embezzlement.

Syed Ali Asad Mukhtar

Lahore

Published in Dawn, October 7th , 2015

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