PESHAWAR, Dec 8: Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has said that the MMA-led provincial government will continue to ensure good governance and to take measures to eradicate corruption.

In his message released to coincide with the International Anti-Corruption Day, which is going to be observed on Dec 9, he said the menace of corruption was spreading fast. It particularly affected the developing countries.

The chief minister urged the people to unite against corruption. “We must support our institutions in performing functions diligently and effectively,” he said.

The chief minister claimed that his government would introduce meaningful changes in an effort to deal with all forms of the menace. “We can and we must fight corruption, ranging from minor acts of omission and commission to strategically important decisions and steps,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NWFP chief secretary said the absence of checks and balances encouraged corruption. Speaking at a seminar, he praised the efforts put in by the National Accountability Bureau in dealing with corrupt people.

He was of the opinion that all NAB’s initiatives should be supported by the honest former public servants. Despite the government’s best efforts, Pakistan was included in the list of most corrupt nations in the world. It was time, therefore, for collective actions against corruption, he said.

Former NWFP chief secretary Abdullah suggested that NAB should publish and distribute the various indices released by international groups so that the people could understand the country’s status vis-à-vis poverty, corruption, etc.

The vice-chancellor of the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Imtiaz Hussain Gillani, additional chief secretary Ghulam Dastagir Akhtar and establishment secretary Mian Sahib Jan also spoke on the occasion. — PPI