Afghan society has been influenced by corruption so much that it would be really a Herculean task to extract it out. Unfortunately, the most important factors of society that should be dealt with, with complete sincerity and devotion, are also influenced by this menace. And no one is ready to realize it. From the most responsible authorities in the government to the common man, everyone, intentionally or unintentionally has a part in it.
Nobody realizes that it is time for Afghanistan to bring about real changes in all the spheres of life. Time is really short for us and unfortunately it is cruel. It will never wait for us so that we can mend ourselves.
It is believed that corruption is the biggest injustice; and it is rightly believed so. Justice demands to give what a person deserves. While corruption leads to a situation where the rewards are not given to the deserving people, neither are the punishments.
Corruption nourishes injustice and at the same time produces myriads of social evils. While justice, as most of the political thinkers and philosophers believe, is the most important factor for the proper evolution of a human society or state. Delete this factor, or spoil it; the rest will follow itself. The only way to control injustice is to stop corruption; while the best way to stop corruption is to improve the law and order system in the country. A law and order system that is based on the rule of law will definitely eradicate corruption and maintain justice.
However, it is notable to observe that there are certain cases in which the law and order system itself becomes the victim of corruption. In such cases the worst manifestation of corruption can be observed. The law then becomes the will of the rich and the powerful, and the poor suffer its consequences.
Another characteristic of corruption is that it makes an institution or individual incapable. Depending much on corruption the institution or the individual gives up the hard work and realizes the easy ways of achieving the objectives. And it is unfortunate to note that the rampant corruption in Afghanistan is affecting it in both the ways mentioned above.
It is unfortunate to note that proper measures have not been carried out to counter the growing corruption. More unfortunate is the fact that the efforts that are carried out to highlight corrupt practices and find out their solutions are vehemently discouraged. One of the clearest examples in this regard was showed when President Hamid Karzai banned Rep. Dana Rohrabacher from entering Kabul.
He was basically representing the House Foreign Affairs oversight and investigations subcommittee. The act clearly depicts that Afghan Presidential office does not have the courage to face the criticisms regarding corruption and it also shows that something is really going wrong.
As a matter of fact, the corruption in Afghanistan is not limited to a single example; there are hundreds of such examples that show the corrupt nature of Afghan society, among which the most threatening ones are related to the most authoritative personalities. A mention, at this moment, of the incident of Kabul Bank must be made as it depicted the largest of such examples and what is being followed after the incident is not very much encouraging as well.
Though Western allies have kept on insisting that Afghan authorities must carry out serious measures to curb the overgrowing corruption, the outcome is yet to be produced in this regard. The Western allies have spent billions of dollars in supporting the Afghan government; they have every right to make sure that the money which is intended to support the Afghan people must be used through a transparent manner. However, they have not been very much careful in this regard. And already much of the money has gone to the pocket of corruption.
Nevertheless, in the process, the supporters of Afghanistan have lost their trust from the Afghan authorities and are mostly disappointed from what has been achieved after more than a decade of expenditure and hard work. One of the reasons that there is reluctance on the part of the international community to pursue the war in Afghanistan is, no doubt, corruption.
Security has been one of the major factors on which the international community has spent their money. Afghan forces have been supported much to guarantee peace, security and tranquility in the country. Afghan National Army and Police have been supported much and they may further be supported in the times to come.
However, if the corruption remains intact it would be really difficult for these two institutions to play their necessary roles. Already there have been concerns that corruption has crept in these institutions and is eating them like termite. And to further add to the misery, there are concerns that some of the international organizations are also involved in strengthening corruption instead of discouraging it.
A recent news report says that European Union has blocked the release of $37 million to a UN-run fund that financed Afghan Police. The fund known as the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA) is basically donated by European Union, US and Japan.
The report claims that LOTFA personnel told the Afghan and international monitoring committee that UN officials had abused the $2.2 million fund for paying salaries to nonexistent police officers and creating high payment positions for the personnel with links to Afghan government leaders.
Afghan Ministry of Interior has said, "EU, US and Japan were the main donors of the training and public awareness, LOTFA should be accountable for it, because Ministry of Interior has no role in it… If the aid is suspended, it will definitely have negative impacts." On the other hand, United Nations Development Program's officials administrating LOTFA have denied these allegations.
These reports may not be true as long as they are verified completely, however, it is a fact that certain Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) have been involved in using the funds inappropriately and they, in fact, have been responsible for diverting a large amount of fund to illegitimate ends.
If Afghanistan and international community are really serious about making tangible changes in Afghan society and in the lives of common Afghans, the menace of corruption must not be tolerated and it must be curbed with the severest means. The law and order system must be made very much strong and must ensure justice. It should treat both the weak and powerful alike and must not become the servant of the elite. Both the national and international institutions should be made accountable for the funds they utilize and the policies they carry out.