KARACHI: As they vowed to eradicate corruption on International AntiCorruption Day, the messages by government and opposition leaders were also laden with subtle references about each other.

While Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the need for doing away with using corruption as a tool for political victimisation, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said the current rulers enacted laws that made recovery of ill-gotten wealth `virtually impossible`.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regretted the previous government jailed political opponents on `frivolous corruption allegations` and added that instead of using it for political point scoring, serious efforts should be made to eradicate corrup-tion, according to APP.

The prime minister urged all political parties to prepare a road map to get rid of corruption while also saying that the issue has been politicised.

`Unfortunately, our political discourse on corruption has been so politicised that it has tarnished reputations,` he later said in a tweet.

`Elite`s corruption destroys nation` In a video message posted on PTI`s official Twitter account, former prime minister Imran Khan said although corruption was rife everywhere, corruption by elites destroys a country and a society.

`When a prime minister, his ministers and presidents steal money ... that destroys a nation,` he said.

While referring to the current government, the PTI chairman said as soon as it came to power, they amended the NAB ordinance, which made the investigation of white-collar crimes, which was already tough, `virtually impossible`.

`After the amendments, it has become virtually impossible to recover the money stashed abroad.

While calling corruption a chronic issue for developing nations, Mr Khan referred to the report by the UN`s Facti panel which, according to him,stated that $1.7tr is embezzled every year from poor countries and moved to havens and off-shore accounts in rich nations.

Concluding his message, Mr Khan added Pakistan can not become an `Asian tiger` or `progress like China` unless there is a rule of law.

`Unless people don`t force leaders to ensure rule of law, corruption cannot be prevented,` he said.

`Corruption a serious concern` In his message, President Arif Alvi said fighting corruption was `a serious concern` for developing countries as it weakens security and hinders economic growth while also contributing toinstability and poverty, according to APP.

The president said although Pakistan has taken a number of actions to eliminate corruption and ensure accountability, much needed to be doneinthisregard.

`The fight against corruption cannot be won unless all segments of society join their hands in the efforts to uproot corruption,` he said.

Corruption deprives the nation of precious public and private resources, creates social and economic disparities and weakens state institutions, President Alvi added.