ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Wednesday termed the corruption a serious social evil in the society and called for collective national efforts to eliminate it.

The speaker made these remarks while addressing the participants of “the Anti-Corruption Awareness Walk 2025”, organised by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at the Sports Complex.

The walk was attended by federal ministers, members of the National Assembly, senior officials, and renowned personalities.

“Corruption has become a serious social evil in our society and collective national efforts are required to eliminate it,” the speaker emphasised.

The speaker said that NAB had transformed from a tool of political victimisation into a performance-driven institution. He added that the Bureau had successfully regained its dignity and credibility through internal reforms and improved accountability mechanisms.

Mr Sadiq stated that the National Assembly had now become an active partner of NAB in the fight against corruption, and internal accountability processes had already been initiated within the Parliament. He appreciated NAB’s efforts in ensuring efficiency, transparency, and strengthened action against corruption.

Commending NAB on its recent achievements, the speaker paid tribute to the Bureau for recovering Rs40 billion. He added that NAB had now evolved into a facilitation-oriented institution for the business community, enabling smoother economic activities and restoring public trust.

The NA speaker also appreciated the efforts of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz against land mafia and called such steps vital for protecting citizens’ rights and ensuring good governance.

NAB Chairman retired Lieutenant-General Nazir Ahmed highlighted that combating corruption was a shared national responsibility and stressed the need for societal unity in this cause.

The NAB chairman further stated that NAB’s achievements speak for themselves. He said the Bureau had provided relief to more than 121,000 affected citizens in the past two and a half years, and had successfully implemented an AI-based accountability regime to enhance transparency and efficiency.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2025