Pakistan, March 27 -- When Pakistan was established in 1947, one of the country's earliest legislative measures was a robust law to curb corruption in public offices: the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. Later amended in 1960, Sections 5B and 5C were added to empower the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to investigate not just public servants' income and assets, but also the financial conditions of their relatives.
The law stipulates harsh penalties: up to seven years' imprisonment, heavy fines, and confiscation of assets if an official is found concealing wealth or providing false information. However, 78 years on, this powerful provision remains untouched - not a single officer or clerk has been prosecuted under these clauses.
Mea...