In Upper Kohistan, one of Pakistan’s least developed districts, billions of rupees earmarked for infrastructure and public welfare projects were allegedly siphoned off in what is emerging as one of the largest financial scams in recent memory. Preliminary investigations by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) suggest that over Rs30 billion was fraudulently withdrawn from the national treasury by government contractors, aided by officials from the Communication and Works Department, the District Accounts Office, and a local branch of the National Bank of Pakistan.
These withdrawals were allegedly made in the name of ghost projects and dummy contractors — entities that never laid a single brick or built a single road. Yet the payments were processed, cheques cleared, and public money drained away. What makes the Kohistan case all the more disturbing is not just the scale, but the silence and invisibility that allowed it to persist for years.
While due process must be followed and guilt established in a court of law, the systemic failures that enabled such corruption must be addressed now. Kohistan, often ignored by the media and policymakers alike, has become a symbol of what happens when governance breaks down and institutions cease to serve the people.
The Cost of Corruption Is Measured in Human Lives
Pakistan ranks 133rd out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index. But behind that statistic lies a human cost: children in Kohistan walk miles to reach collapsing schools; families queue at under-resourced clinics; basic sanitation is a dream. When billions are stolen, it is not merely a financial crime — it is a theft of futures, a denial of dignity.
The people of Pakistan are not unfamiliar with sacrifice. They have braved natural disasters, inflation, energy shortages, and political instability. But what they cannot and should not endure any longer is a governance structure that rewards impunity and punishes accountability.
A Structural Problem, Not a Partisan One
Corruption in Pakistan is not the domain of a single party or administration. It is systemic, cross-cutting, and deeply embedded in the institutional culture. From local contractors in Kohistan to real estate developers in Islamabad, loopholes and leniencies are routinely exploited. The problem is not merely bad actors — it is a system that too often protects them.
Instead of politicizing every scandal or weaponizing accountability, we must focus on long-overdue structural reforms that transcend party lines. The need is not for another commission or inquiry — it is for a sustained, legally grounded, and technologically supported overhaul of how the state handles public money.
What Must Be Done: A Roadmap for Reform
Digital Audit Trails: All public procurement, payments, and development disbursements must be logged digitally and made accessible for third-party audits. E-procurement systems like those adopted in countries such as Georgia and Ukraine have significantly reduced corruption by minimizing human discretion.
Strengthening Local Oversight: District-level public accounts committees must be empowered with independent auditing authority and citizen representation. These bodies must regularly publish reports and recommendations.
Independent Anti-Corruption Bodies: NAB and other watchdogs must be given financial and operational autonomy, with their heads appointed through bipartisan parliamentary processes to ensure independence from executive interference.
Whistleblower Protection and Incentives: A robust legislative framework is needed to protect whistleblowers from retaliation. This should include anonymity, legal protection, and rewards for exposing large-scale fraud.
Fast-Track Judicial Mechanisms: Establishing specialized anti-corruption courts with trained financial judges can expedite the prosecution of white-collar crimes without clogging the regular judicial system.
Performance-Based Civil Service Reforms: Promotions and transfers within the bureaucracy must be based on merit and performance, not patronage. The institutional incentive structure must reward honesty, not loyalty to political masters.
Civic Empowerment and Transparency: The media, civil society, and citizen monitoring platforms should be seen as allies in the fight against corruption, not adversaries. Legal restrictions that curtail their role must be repealed.
No Reform Will Work Without Political Will
Ultimately, all reform begins with intent. If the political leadership — across all parties — is serious about lifting Pakistan out of economic decline, restoring public trust, and fulfilling constitutional promises, then fighting corruption must move from slogan to strategy. That begins with putting institutional integrity above short-term political gain.
Pakistan does not lack resources. What it lacks is the discipline to protect those resources from being plundered. Kohistan must not become just another name in a long list of forgotten scandals. Let it instead be the point where the country says: enough.
The shocking Rs30 billion corruption scandal in Kohistan—where fake contractors and complicit officials allegedly siphoned public funds meant for essential development—exposes the deep rot in our governance system. This isn’t just theft of money; it’s theft of schools, hospitals, and futures from Pakistan’s poorest. Corruption in Pakistan is not isolated or partisan—it is systemic, and it’s time we demanded structural change, not empty slogans. We need full digitization of public spending, empowered independent watchdogs, whistleblower protection, fast-track anti-corruption courts, and political will that puts people before privilege. Pakistanis are suffering, while a corrupt elite grows richer. Enough is enough—we must rise as citizens to demand accountability, transparency, and justice—everywhere, from Kohistan to the capital.
