The recently released Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2020 paints a rather bleak picture of the state of corruption around the world. According to the report, while most countries are still plagued by rampant corruption and have made little progress in alleviating it, more than two-thirds of countries worldwide have scored below 50 — with 100 being very clean and 0 highly corrupt. Pakistan ranks 124 out of 180 countries based on the level of perceived public sector corruption — sliding down 4 spots over last year with a score of 31.
Even though the index is indicative of the fact that corruption has pervaded all tiers of the state, it does not determine the severity or complexity of the issue, especially in a country like Pakistan where the longstanding issue has woven itself within institutions and systems. It is also important to consider that if the bureaucracy was included into the index, Pakistan might relatively be further down the rank. Last year, Transparency International Pakistan claimed that the 2019 report, which showed Pakistan had slipped 3 spots from the previous year’s ranking, did not “reflect an increase or decrease in corruption as it is within the standard margin of error”. However, the reports of the last few years clearly indicate a downward trend — since 2016 Pakistan has dropped 8 spots. The report, when reviewed in isolation, may not seem drastic, therefore it is necessary to gauge it in an accumulative manner — of perhaps a span of every five years.
Furthermore, with the advent of the pandemic, the emphasis on corruption has intensified, since it adversely affects people’s access to quality healthcare. In a post-Covid world, ameliorating corruption will perhaps be the most important and most challenging task for countries around the world. An underdeveloped country like Pakistan needs to take heed before the situation escalates out of control. For this, proper accountability and transparency plays an instrumental role and needs to be the top most priority in institutions across Pakistan. Those that are involved in corrupt practices should be dealt with strictly and seriously.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2021.
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