Pakistan’s continued slide in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is a grim reminder of the country’s entrenched governance problems and the inability of successive governments to resolve them.

The most recent 2024 report indicates another decline in ranking, which mirrors pervasive corruption that continues to undermine national institutions, deter foreign and domestic investment, and undermine public confidence in the system. Notwithstanding repeated promises by successive governments, anti-graft initiatives are still largely ineffective, enabling vested interests to grow and prosper. If Pakistan does not take substantive action, the implications will spread far beyond numbers, affecting economic growth, social justice, and institutional stability.

Pakistan’s deteriorating ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) again reflects the entrenched governance problems that afflict the nation and permeate all aspects of life. The report indicates that Pakistan has slipped two more places, ranking 135th among 180 countries, with its score decreasing from 29 to 27. This is not a small change—it’s a stark indication of how corruption continues to weaken institutions, hold back economic growth, and chip away at public trust in the system. In spite of rhetoric by successive governments, the war against corruption is still largely symbolic. Meanwhile, deep-rooted power hierarchies remain firmly in place, making effective change a remote prospect.

Pakistan’s declining trend in the CPI is not a recent fall but a continuation of a long-term trend of decline. In 2018, the nation had been able to reach a score of 33, but the subsequent years have witnessed a consistent backsliding, reversing all the progress that had been achieved. This steep fall indicates the failure of institutions that are supposed to ensure transparency and accountability. It further raises serious questions regarding whether Pakistan’s governance system is structurally immune to reform, irrespective of whoever is in power. The CPI reflects publicly perceived corruption in the public sector based on assessments by business people and experts.

Although corruption is a universal phenomenon, what distinguishes good states is their capacity to contain it within firm institutions. In Pakistan, however, efforts at curbing corruption have tended to be politicized for partisan advantage in place of an earnest attempt at reform. Rather than establishing strong institutions to fight systemic corruption, successive governments utilized accountability as a means to muzzle opponents while insulating themselves. This method has only heightened public distrust and further eroded confidence in institutions that are expected to maintain integrity. Pakistan’s deteriorating ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has serious implications beyond mere reputational loss. Corruption has a direct impact on economic growth, deters investment, and undermines governance. When corruption is rampant in the public sector, it makes the business environment uncertain, and local and foreign investors are repelled. This, in turn, retards economic growth and restricts employment opportunities.

Investors value predictability, transparency, and the rule of law. Pakistan’s failure to stem corruption leads to capital flight, as enterprises and individuals transfer their wealth to safer and more predictable economies. Aside from the economy, increasing corruption worsens social disparity. Public funds that can be used in key sectors such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure are diverted and end up depriving the poorest of these basic needs.

Nepotism and cronyism flourish in a corrupt system, where government contracts and positions of power are doled out based on connections, not merit. This serves only to feed public distrust of institutions, setting up a vicious cycle in which frustration breeds disengagement, and disengagement permits corruption to go unchecked. In spite of these urgent concerns, the authorities have effectively shrugged off the nation’s declining CPI ranking as little more than an inconvenient statistic. Official reactions tend to veer from denial and charges of international bias to hollow assurances of reform that go nowhere. Yet these rankings rely on solid worldwide estimates and cannot be dismissed as propaganda. Our leaders need to acknowledge that falling CPI scores are an indicator of a more fundamental system failure—a one that calls for actual, structural change instead of political talk.

If Pakistan wants to turn around its falling Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranking, it will have to make a serious commitment to actual institutional changes. Anti-corruption entities such as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) need to be politicisation-proofed and empowered to investigate corruption without bias. Accountability cannot be selective—it has to be equal for all, politically connected or not. Second, judicial independence and more robust legal systems are critical to guaranteeing that corruption cases result in convictions and not in perpetuity legal delays that end in no effective action. Third, enhancing transparency in public procurement and governance can close loopholes that enable corruption to thrive. Tight controls and electronic reforms in financial transactions can further restrict avenues for abuse of public funds. Pakistan’s present path indicates that unless there is drastic reform, its institutions will further deteriorate, and economic growth will continue to be suppressed.

Corruption is more than a bureaucracy problem—it’s the greatest impediment to development. It strips citizens of their rights, steals resources intended for public benefit, and permits favored elites to flourish at the expense of the rest. The administration can no longer afford to gloss over or ignore this crisis. The price tag of inaction is just too high. Turning around Pakistan’s declining trajectory in the CPI calls for something greater than political speak—it needs true structural reforms. Depoliticizing anti-corruption units, bolstering judicial independence, and enhancing governance transparency are fundamental measures toward accountability. Corruption is not merely a matter of governance; it is the greatest hurdle to national development, depriving people of opportunity and economic stability. The government must move strongly, as the price of delay is simply too high.