KARACHI, April 25: The country can be freed of the shackles of foreign debts only after uprooting corruption, said chairman of the National Accountability Bureau, Lt-Gen Munir Hafiz on Friday.

Speaking at a seminar, organized by the city government, in collaboration with Transparency International at the Civic Centre, he said that the NAB was trying to eliminate corruption and legislation

had also been carried in this regard.

Former Sindh governors Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim and Moinuddin Hyder and DCO Karachi Mir Hussain Ali also addressed the seminar. NRB chief in Sindh, General Aijaz Bakhshi, and officers and Nazims of the city government were also present.

Gen Munir asserted that despite facing immense difficulties, the NAB, in the past three years, had made a tremendous progress.

Legislation had been carried out and those who want to return the looted and embezzled money voluntarily would not be tried in accountability courts, nor they would be declared accused, he told the audience.

He said that access to information of government departments is now possible which would also help eliminate corruption.

Moinuddin Hyder said corruption does not only mean embezzlement of money, but dereliction of duties and making appointment of incompetent persons is also a corruption.

Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim said judiciary also be included in the accountability process, viewing that with dual standard, corruption could not be eliminated.

Representatives of Transparency International said that the seminar was organized on the wish of City Nazim Naimatullah Khan and his passion against the corruption forced us to work in collaboration with city government.

—PPI