LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lieutenant General (retd) Nazir Ahmed has urged the youth to recognise that laws alone cannot eliminate corruption unless individuals are willing to hold themselves accountable in their personal and professional lives.

Speaking to the students of a local university in connection with an anti-bribery awareness seminar here on Friday, the NAB chief said, “rather than portraying accountability as a solely punitive exercise, the importance of fairness, transparency, and due process should be incorporated in institutional work”. He said that public institutions should not only enforce the law, but also incorporate integrity through their conduct.

By acknowledging the role of universities in shaping values, he said that educational institutions were essential allies in the broader accountability ecosystem. He said that NAB wanted a broader and more forward-looking approach that placed equal emphasis on prevention, awareness, and the cultivation of ethical values.

NAB Lahore Director General Mirza Faran Baig spoke about the bureau’s sustained focus on awareness-building and community engagement. “Through regular interaction with educational institutions, outreach programmes and public forums, NAB Lahore wants to make accountability a shared social concept rather than an abstract legal idea,” he said. He told the students about ethical responsibilities and the long-term societal costs of corruption.

“The youth represent the moral and intellectual future of the country and professional success without integrity offers little value to society,” he said.

The seminar also highlighted the growing collaboration between academia and public institutions in addressing national challenges. Universities were urged to actively contribute to character-building alongside academic excellence, reinforcing ethical leadership as a national priority.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2026