Transparency International Pakistan and its partnership in all four provinces observed the United National Convention Against Corruption Day on 9th December 2009.

Balochistan

Kuchlak Welfare Society, Quetta

A seminar was held at the Boy Scouts, Near P.T.V. Center, Halli Road, Quetta on 9th December 2009. It was chaired by Mr. Manzoor Ahmed Khan Kakar, the Naib Nazim, Mr. Asmat ullah Kakkar was the Chief Guest. The Speakers were Javaid Baloch, Administrator of Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation center, Dr. Rana Irfan Baig of Daily Jang, Fayyas Hassan Sajjad Senior journalist of Daily Jung, Mr. Malik Abdul Rashid Kakar Chairman Kuchlak Welfare Society and Syed Nadeem Shah of the Japanese Council.

All the speakers gave their views on the problems being faced due to rampart corruption in our country. They were of the view that to get rid of it, each and every individual will have to make a sincere commitment not to get involved in it no matter what hardships they will have to face. Some of the speakers were of the view that unemployment, inflation and low pay scales were some reasons for people getting involved in corruption.

The participants actively took part in the discussion and aired their views on corruption.

Sind

Al Mehran Rural Development Organization ‘AMRDO’, New Saeedabad

Approximately 90 persons attended the seminar which was held in New Saeedabad. Abdul Jabbar Chhachhar, CEO of AMRDO made the introduction and invited the speakers. The Chief Guest was Jami Chandio, Executive Director of Center for Peace and Civil Society. He spoke about the evils of corruption and gave reference to Abdul Shah Bhittai sayings. Another speaker was Mr. Abdul Razaque Omrani, Regional Manager of HANDS Hyderabad. Transparency International Pakistan was represented by Nargis A. Mirza.

Punjab

Rural Development Organization ‘RDO’, Faisalabad

RDO had arranged 4 seminars in different cities, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh. Their details are as follows:-

Chinot

There were 97 participants who came from all walks of life. The Chief Guest was Mr. Fiaz Ahmed Sumbal, District Police Officer, Chiniot. It was chaired by Mr. Rana Mohammad Tahir Khan, District Coordination Officer, Chiniot. The seminar was held at Government College for Elementary Teachers, Chiniot. The speakers spoke of the importance the society and the media has to play in the elimination of corruption. The participants heartily took part in the discussions.

Faisalabad

The seminar was held at Jinnah Town Hall, Faisalabad. The Chief Guest was Major ® Abdul Rehman Rana, Chairman Task Force (Medicine) Punjab. It was chaired by Dr. Altaf Husain Haidery, Chief ExecutiveWeekly Newspaper Awami Samaat, Faisalabad. The seminar was attended by over a hundred persons. A number of NGOs attended it too. Awami Samaat, a local NGO helped RDO in organizing this event. Major ® Rana said that at one time a corrupt person used to do it furtively but today no one things twice about it but are proud to be involved in it. All the speakers spoke on the various ways to eliminate corruption and its dire effects on society. They emphasized that to eliminate it the starting point is within the individual himself.

Jhang

The number of participants exceeded the estimated figure, they were 84. The Chief Guest was Haji Abid Hussain Khokhar, President Jhang Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Chairman Sufi Rehman Industries. Chaudhry Sarfaraz Ahmed, E.D.O. Social Welfare Disrtrict Jhang was Chairing the event. It was held at Press Club, Jhang.

Toba Tek Singh

The participants were approximately 70. The seminar was held at Government Middle School, Gojra Road, Toba Tek Singh. Mr. Babur Javaid Chaudhry, Member of Punjab Bait-ul-Mal for District Toba Tek Singh was the Chief Guest and Mr. Nasir Mehmood Salmimi, Member Public Safety Commission District Toba Tek Singh did the honours of chairing this event.

Mr. Chaudhry said in his speech stated that different religions have listed forbidden different things in different stages but ‘CORRUPTION’ has been placed as the vilest of all forbidden things in all of them. All the speakers had the consensus that each individual is responsible for the spread of corruption and each person has to work against it to get rid of it. This is the only cure. Mr. Mohsin , Chairman of the RDO concluded the event by quoting a couplet which stated that if we delay the process of rectifying ourselves we will have to give bribe to breath.

Fundamental Human Rights and Rural Development Association ‘FHRRDA’, Golarchi, Badin

Citizens’ Commission for Human Development ‘CCHD’, Lahore