LAHORE: Hundreds of banners and flexes installed on The Mall and adjacent roads against corruption are without any ownership, raising questions about ‘anonymity’ of the social campaign being actually run by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

One of the flexes reads, “We cannot end hunger unless we end poverty and poverty cannot be ended unless we eradicate corruption.”

Another inscribed with a message in Urdu translates “Observe merit and ensure eligibility. A corruption free Pakistan is our faith.”

Sources say the banners and flexes were installed by the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) workers on the roads. The authority charges fee for installing banners along any road falling in its jurisdiction.

However, some of the citizens noticing absence of the name of any department or organisation on these banners, questioned the need to keep a public service campaign anonymous.

A PHA official, Usman Ghani, told Dawn that the anti-corruption campaign was being run by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that had got installed the banners and flexes to raise awareness against corruption. The bureau was also holding an event against corruption at Alhamra Arts Council on Dec 8, he added.

Quoting some NAB officials, he said they claimed that they had been asked by the bureau high-ups not to mention its name on the banners.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2022