NAB DG Rizwan Khan calls on youth to lead Pakistan’s fight against corruption

Islamabad: Muhammad Rizwan Khan, Director General of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Rawalpindi-Islamabad, has called upon Pakistan’s youth to take a leading role in the fight against corruption, emphasising that the country’s dream of prosperity, transparency and sustainable development cannot be realised without the active participation of young people and collective commitment from all segments of society.

In his message, Rizwan Khan highlighted the importance of youth engagement in promoting integrity, strengthening public awareness and developing a society in which corruption is rejected as a matter of principle.

He said NAB was continuing to play its role in combating corruption, but stressed that the achievement of a prosperous Pakistan required more than institutional efforts alone. It demanded sustained hard work, unwavering determination and the support of the entire nation, particularly students and young people who would shape the country’s future.

The NAB Rawalpindi-Islamabad chief described youth as one of the most valuable assets of any nation, observing that their energy, talent, resilience and capacity to influence social attitudes could make a decisive contribution to the national struggle against corruption.

He emphasised that students represented a vital source of hope for Pakistan and could serve as catalysts for positive change by promoting honesty, ethical conduct, transparency and accountability within their educational institutions and communities.

Rizwan Khan said any policy or strategy designed to secure a better future for the country would remain incomplete unless the role of young people was clearly recognised and incorporated into its implementation.

He stressed that youth participation should not be confined to symbolic involvement but should form an integral part of broader efforts to create a responsible, corruption-conscious and socially accountable nation.

He maintained that the fight against corruption required a comprehensive and long-term approach in which public awareness and preventive measures complemented enforcement action. A society could make meaningful progress against corruption when citizens understood its harmful consequences, recognised their collective responsibility and actively supported efforts to discourage corrupt practices.

Explaining NAB’s approach, Rizwan Khan said the bureau followed a three-pronged strategy encompassing awareness, prevention and enforcement. The strategy, he emphasised, reflected the importance of addressing corruption through public education, preventive initiatives and appropriate enforcement measures.

He expressed particular confidence in the ability of Pakistan’s young generation to strengthen the awareness component of this strategy. Through educational activities, constructive engagement and the promotion of ethical values, students could help develop widespread rejection of corruption and encourage greater public participation in efforts to eradicate the menace.

Rizwan Khan stressed that creating an environment in which corruption was socially unacceptable required consistent efforts to educate people about its consequences and encourage them to uphold principles of fairness, honesty and responsibility.

He underlined that awareness among young people could have a lasting impact by enabling them to carry these values from educational institutions into their professional and personal lives.

He also called upon all Character Building Societies (CBS) members and students to unite against corruption and extend their support to NAB in its efforts to promote accountability and integrity. He urged the younger generation to recognise its responsibility towards the country and contribute actively to the establishment of a society where merit, transparency and ethical conduct were respected.

The NAB DG’s message placed particular emphasis on the partnership between institutions and citizens, reflecting the view that the fight against corruption could achieve sustainable results only when official efforts were reinforced by public cooperation and a strong collective commitment to integrity.

Rizwan Khan expressed confidence that Pakistan’s talented and resilient youth possessed the potential to become an effective force for positive social transformation. Their involvement in awareness activities, he said, could help cultivate a stronger collective resolve against corruption and contribute to building a culture that valued honesty and accountability.

He called for unity, determination and sustained cooperation among students, educational communities and other sections of society, stressing that the responsibility for building a prosperous Pakistan rested with the nation as a whole.

Expressing optimism about the country’s future, Rizwan Khan said that with collective resolve and active public participation, Pakistan could overcome the challenge of corruption.

He concluded with a firm message of hope, expressing confidence that a united national effort would help eliminate the menace of corruption and advance the shared goal of a prosperous, transparent and accountable Pakistan.