ISLAMABAD: Corruption is one of the major challenges and the curse that must be controlled with full determination and resolve, a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) official said on Wednesday. While delivering a lecture at Naval Headquarters NAB Awareness and Prevention Director General (DG) Aliya Rashid said, “Pakistan’s social problems are manifold and emanate from a host of malpractices; the most significant of which is corruption.” The lecture was attended by lady officers besides wives and children of the officers said a press release. She said, “As generally believed, social greed in the country is associated with men. In fact, social pressures emanating from their families for better lives lead men to financial corruption. If women are educated on the subject then it would obviously have a positive impact and help in curbing and arresting the growing trend of corruption in our country.” Aliya Rashid said that the country would make much faster progress in all fields, if the nation overcomes the menace of corruption. While emphasising on the role of women in curbing corruption from the society, she said that the women especially those studying in schools, colleges and universities could play a leading role in uprooting this evil from the society. She urged them to actively participate in preventing members of their families from getting involved in corruption. As central figure in families, women could play a pivotal role in preventing their husbands and parents from corruption and corrupt practices. She said it had become a phenomenon that wives demand such status of life that is beyond the financial status of their husbands and regularly complains about not having luxury items that others are enjoying. “This innocent and un-intentional act by wives is often due to lack of awareness about the negative impact of such demands which their husbands cannot fulfill and can greatly contribute to transform them from honest to dishonest characters,” she said. She further said that, “It can lead them to a situation where they choose wrong ways and means to make their family happy but at the same time the wealth acquired through corruption can cause irreparable loss to the society and make God angry.” She pointed out that when wives and children demand luxury items it just like telling a husband or father on wheel chair to run marathon. She said that for men their highest need is to feel respected and trusted by the women for their efforts and contributions for well-being of family and to brag about them to others. She sensitised the audience that as ‘charity begins at home’ similarly ‘accountability should begins at home.’ “If we wish to develop honesty in the children, we must first do it ourselves, how honest I am in my everyday activities and dealings,” She added. The awareness campaign against corruption is based on the slogan “Say No to Corruption”, she added. She said, “What we all need to learn is that all people are stakeholders in facing the challenges of corruption. Corruption causes colossal damage to the country’s economy. It harms national institutions. It is main hurdle in the socio-economic progress. Above all, corruption erodes the concept of the rule of law and due process of justice in the country.” She apprised that NAB is focusing on the youth of this country for creating awareness against corruption. In this regard, a comic story Book “Gogi Says No to Corruption” has been published in collaboration with Asian Development Bank and Gogi Studios.