NCPS 2025: the road ahead for Pakistan

For many Pakistanis, the word "corruption" evokes frustration, long queues and a quiet sense that there is little they can do to navigate a system stacked against them. Yet the latest National Corruption Perception Survey (NCPS) 2025, conducted by Transparency International Pakistan, tells a story that is slightly different — not revolutionary, but quietly hopeful. It suggests that day-to-day encounters with public institutions are slowly changing, and that ordinary citizens are more aware than ever of what good governance should look like.

NCPS is about perception, not prosecution. It measures how people experience daily interactions — whether at a hospital, a municipal office or a school — rather than tallying proven cases of corruption. Think of it as a giant mood ring across the country. While the survey doesn't influence Pakistan's ranking in the global Corruption Perceptions Index, it reveals how trust and scepticism are distributed among citizens. And in governance, perception matters. People who believe institutions are fair are more likely to comply with rules, pay taxes and even report wrongdoing. Those who distrust the system withdraw, disengage or find ways to bypass it.

One of the most encouraging findings of NCPS 2025 is that roughly two-thirds of respondents reported that they had not faced a situation in the past year where they felt compelled to pay a bribe — a significant shift in a country where petty corruption has long been considered part of everyday life. This improvement is mirrored in the gradual rise in public confidence in certain institutions: perceptions of the police, for example, improved by six per cent, while education, land and property services, local government, and taxation also registered modest credibility gains.

Yet despite these positive signs, the survey underscores a persistent scepticism among citizens, who expect more than courteous officials or timely services. People increasingly demand transparency, accountability and predictable rules that apply to everyone, alongside oversight bodies that operate openly, political funding that is regulated, and functional complaints systems.

Health and political sectors are areas of particular concern. Citizens call for stricter control over pharmaceutical commissions, clearer rules for doctors' private practices and a functional complaint mechanism. Politically, they want government advertising stripped of party names and images and stricter regulation of party funding.

To bring about these changes, the survey shows that citizens are willing to be partners in reform if the system allows it.

Forty-two per cent said that they would feel safe reporting corruption if whistleblower protections were strong. This is nearly half the population ready to act, given adequate safety and anonymity.

Corruption in Pakistan has often been exploited as a tool for political gain rather than for improving governance. Leaders have frequently accused one another of graft to settle scores, turning accountability into a partisan weapon. This has had a deep impact on society: citizens grow sceptical not only of politicians but of public institutions themselves, seeing them as arenas for rivalry rather than service.

Over time, this has eroded social trust, making people wary of cooperating with one another or engaging with the state. Ordinary interactions — whether with government offices, schools or healthcare providers — are coloured by suspicion, as citizens internalise the belief that systems are manipulated for personal or political advantage. The result is a fragmented society, where distrust and cynicism often outweigh collaboration and civic responsibility.

Looking at regional neighbours offers perspective. India, for example, frequently faces criticism for widespread corruption, yet it is also seen as progressing because it has digitised many government services and launched visible anti-corruption campaigns. In other words, perception and reality can diverge: citizens may still report high bribery, but institutional reform and transparency measures create a sense of momentum. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka struggle with both inefficiency and weak oversight, with incremental reforms often yielding uneven results. In this regional context, Pakistan's modest improvements are noteworthy, showing that the country is not standing still, even if progress is slower than desired.

Pakistani leaders now have a unique chance to build on this momentum.

To begin with, Pakistan must strengthen transparency and accountability in its institutions. When government actions are visible and officials are held answerable, opportunities for misuse of power shrink. Anti-corruption bodies need to operate openly to prevent selective targeting, while strong whistleblower protections and safe reporting channels encourage citizens and employees to speak up without fear. Political funding and procurement must be reformed to cut rent-seeking and ensure fairness, and citizens should be actively involved in monitoring projects and giving feedback. Together, these steps can create a system where dishonest practices are harder to hide and genuine accountability becomes the norm.

Having said that, the key to making the country genuinely corruption-free lies in a strong, impartial judicial system — one that eliminates selective accountability and ensures laws are applied equally. When justice is predictable and insulated from political influence, corrupt practices are deterred, and broader institutional reforms can take root.