Graft index: Pakistan slips to 135th place

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has tumbled further in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2024, slipping to 135th place out of 180 countries.

The drop marks a decline from its 133rd position in 2023, reinforcing concerns over deepening corruption and weakened governance.

The ranking is based on data collected from eight independent sources.

The country's overall corruption score has fallen to 27, compared to 29 in 2023, signalling a further erosion of institutional transparency.

The Berlin-based watchdog's report highlighted alarming trends, revealing a stagnation in legal action and penalties against officials abusing power, with the score remaining stuck at 21.

The misuse of public resources has worsened, as reflected in its index score dropping from 20 to 18. Bribery and corrupt business practices have also intensified, with the score declining from 35 to 32.

Corruption within the political system has shown a slight increase, rising from 32 to 33.

Meanwhile, the accountability of government institutions has eroded further, with powerful interest groups tightening their grip on the state, pushing the index from 35 to 39.

However, the diversion of public funds to individuals and private firms due to corruption has seen a sharp decline in transparency, with its score plunging from 45 to 33.

The misuse of state resources by executives, the judiciary, the military and legislators for personal gain has also increased, as indicated by a rise in the index from 25 to 26.

Corruption within the public sector, executive, judiciary, and legislature has reached new lows, with the score plummeting from 20 to 14, painting a grim picture of governance and institutional integrity.

According to the report, some of the world's most corrupt countries include South Sudan, Somalia, and Venezuela. Corruption has also surged in Iran, Iraq, and Russia, with Moscow now ranked 154th.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan stands at 165th and Bangladesh at 151st. Iran and Iraq have been placed at 151st and 140th, respectively.

Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) clarified that it plays no role in data collection or score calculation as the CPI is compiled based on independent sources assessing governance and anti-corruption measures globally.

TIP Chairperson Justice (retd) Zia Perwez noted that most countries in the region, except Oman, China, Turkey, and Mongolia, saw a decline in their scores, with Pakistan being no exception.

"The downslide for the region shows that Pakistan is one of the countries holding up against the overall trend," Perwez stated, without elaborating on any significant improvements in the country's governance structure.