Corruption in Pakistan has metastasised beyond mere governance flaws; it has infiltrated every fabric of the state, transforming a "kleptocracy" into a "plutocracy".
Kleptocracy, defined as corrupt governance where leaders prioritise personal gain over public welfare, leads to hoarding wealth often abroad — allowing such leaders to repeatedly regain power. Its potent variant, plutocracy, subverts the political system by channeling wealth to the ruling class through legal and public means. This pattern echoes Pakistan's present reality, steering it toward eventual economic and social collapse.
The Greek word "phthora", meaning destruction, decay or perishing, was used to describe corruption. For example, the Greeks accused Socrates of corrupting young minds, while Aristotle emphasised the purity of language to prevent its corruption. The word "corruption" itself is derived from the Latin "corruptus", meaning "to corrupt and to destroy".
The treacherous grip of corruption on humanity can be traced back to the earliest days of human existence. The Qur'anic story of Cain, the son of Adam (AS), who murdered his brother Abel, symbolises humanity's pursuit of gain and envy of others. In ancient times, offerings were made to gods, deities and kings to nurture social cohesion.
However, when gifts or money were exchanged to gain favours from public servants, corruption took root. Early evidence of bribery emerged in Mesopotamia (3400 BC), Egypt (2000 BC) and China (1046 BC). The Babylonians were the first to criminalise bribery under Hammurabi's Code (1755 BC). Similarly, Kautilya, a minister during Chandragupta's Indian reign (4BC), decried bribery as "utkoch," underscoring its pervasiveness.
Divine guidance, among other prohibitions on human vices, unequivocally condemned bribery and corruption. The Bible cautions, "Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent" (Exodus 23:8). Similarly, the Qur'an prohibits unjust wealth acquisition, warning, "Do not consume one another's wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers" (2:188). Despite these divine admonitions, corruption thrived across Islamic dynasties, often hastening their decline.
The Umayyad period (661-750 AD) saw bribery entrenched in governance, where officials often admitted guilt and converted embezzled amounts into repayable debts. The Abbasid period (1055-1258 AD) witnessed widespread administrative, financial and judicial corruption as well as organised crime. The Ottomans, too, struggled with embezzlement of funds by officials and military commanders, alongside judicial bribery. Muslim rule in Spain (711-1492 AD) faced corruption in the form of governor positions and administrative posts sold to the highest bidder. The Mughal Empire (1526-1856) fared no better; despite Aurangzeb's efforts, corruption plagued the judicial and military systems, shortening the empire's decline.
Jinnah, even before Pakistan's creation, lamented the moral and intellectual corruption of Muslims. Writing to Ispahani in May 1945, he observed, "Muslims' educated and intelligentsia are selfish, morally and intellectually corrupt." After independence, Jinnah's first order of business at the Constituent Assembly in August 1947 was to address corruption: "One of the biggest curses from which India is suffering is bribery and corruption. That really is a poison. We must put it down with an iron hand." He knew corruption would erode trust, weaken democracy and distort the nation's vision. Sadly, his warnings went unheeded, and Pakistan spiraled into social, political and economic decay.
A significant surge in corruption occurred during Nawaz Sharif's tenure in the 1990s enabling systemic nepotism and graft. Benazir Bhutto's tenure, overshadowed by Zardari, saw unprecedented corruption, with Pakistan ranked among the most corrupt countries by Transparency International (TI) in 1994. Subsequent governments and military regimes failed to curb the malaise, and accountability institutions like NAB and FIA, laced with corruption, served as tools for political victimisation rather than genuine reform.
The PPP-led coalition (2008-2013) holds the dubious distinction of being the most corrupt government in Pakistan's history, with the country's TI ranking peaking at 146 out of 178 nations in 2010. Nawaz Sharif's return to power in 2013 continued the trend of unchecked graft. Imran Khan's populist rise in 2018 brought promises of accountability and repatriation of looted wealth but yielded little.
Major scandals, the Rental Power Projects, PIA mismanagement, NATO containers, Ephedrine quota, IPPs fiasco among others, and repeated sugar and wheat crises, exemplify the rampant misuse of power. These incidents, left unaddressed, normalised corruption across all levels of society. Today, the PMLN-PPP coalition undermines accountability laws and institutions while shielding themselves through legislation and legal loopholes. A minister's recent comment exemplifies this mindset: "Despite corruption, other countries are developing, so why can't we?" This sentiment could well serve as Pakistan's unofficial motto. By 2023, Pakistan ranked 133 out of 180 countries on TI's corruption index.
Greek historian Polybius's theory of anacyclosis (2BC) suggests that governance evolves through cycles of virtue and corruption, with democracy devolving into mob rule and leading to authoritarianism. In Pakistan, the erosion of governance by corruption has raised societal injustices, grievances and protest, creating fertile ground for next phase in the cycle, the mob rule which will be followed by anarchy.
Why do Muslims perpetuate corruption after Qur'anic prohibitions, warnings from the Prophet (PBUH) ("May the Curse of Allah be upon the briber and the bribe recipient"), and knowing that corruption destroyed caliphates? Modern Islamic states sustain these practices, making citizens' lives miserable. The answer lies in societal amnesia and insouciance: we falsely believe our fate will differ from that of our predecessors, both in this world and the hereafter.
There exists an outrageous silence on the systematic tackling of corruption in pillars of the state, governance and society. Aside from politically motivated actions, even our genuine and good-faith actions failed to achieve the positive change, because corruption give rise to injustice on which fair and meaningful progress could not be made. Period.
The choice is our: persist on a path of corruption and risk descending into anarchy, or undertake a collective mission to rebuild governance and societal values. This temporal life before it is over, offers an opportunity to correct our course compared to eternal consequences for our misdeeds. The window for reform is closing; the time to act is now.
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