PESHAWAR  -  The caretaker Chief Min­ister of Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa, Justice (R) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah, recently addressed the grave implications of corruption on society. 

He likened corruption to a termite that silent­ly corrodes nations from within, emphasizing that societies entrenched in corrupt practices don’t need external enemies—they self-destruct due to their corrupt systems. He stressed that corrup­tion not only obstructs national progress but also erodes public trust in governing systems.

Justice (R) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah reaffirmed the caretaker provincial government’s commit­ment to transparency and fighting corruption. The government intro­duced the “Prosperous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Vi­sion,” with its core ele­ment being a “Zero Tol­erance Policy” against corruption. Their strate­gy involves vigilant mon­itoring of public service centres to eliminate cor­rupt practices.

Speaking at a seminar organized by NAB Khy­ber Pakhtunkhwa and the Provincial Anti-cor­ruption Establishment at Nishtar Hall, Pesha­war, the Chief Minister highlighted corruption’s detrimental impact on socio-economic develop­ment. 

He emphasized its role in resource misal­location, economic stag­nation, and the per­petuation of societal inequality, undermining the nation’s potential.

While acknowledg­ing the limited scope of their tenure, Justice (R) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah pledged an unyield­ing commitment to es­tablishing an effective anti-corruption mech­anism. He aimed for their efforts to serve as a benchmark for future governments.

Commending NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Provincial An­ti-corruption Establish­ment, the Chief Minister assured support from his government in the fight against corruption. He stressed the urgency of raising awareness and changing societal mind­sets to combat corrup­tion effectively.

Highlighting equality, transparency, justice, and meritocracy as essential pillars of good govern­ance, Justice (R) Syed Ar­shad Hussain Shah urged collective dedication to fighting corruption. He concluded by reiterating the commitment to this cause.