Contrary to official claims, corruption in Pakistan is on the rise, instead of decreasing. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2024, Pakistan slipped two notches and ranked 135 out of 180 countries, with its score dropping from 29 to 27.

This proves that all efforts so far to control corruption have not borne fruit. The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, using assessments from experts, businesspeople and others.

Pakistan’s downward slide in the CPI has continued over the years. Corruption permeates all levels of government and society but the authorities seem little bothered and tend to dismiss Corruption Index rankings as biased. But this is self-deception. International rankings are based on scientific data collection and analysis and broad assessments from credible sources and global institutions. It is foolhardy to denigrate them as foreign propaganda.

Corruption is a many-sided evil that destroys institutions and seriously damages the economy and society. Pakistan’s deteriorating CPI ranking is not only bad for the country’s image abroad but it also has a negative impact on economic growth, trade and foreign investment. When corruption is rampant in a country, it discourages both domestic and foreign investment, leading to slower economic growth and fewer job opportunities. Investors favour environments where the rule of law and ethics are followed and business dealings are transparent. Failure to control corruption results in capital flight and relocation of industries in safer, more stable environments. At the same time, corruption creates imbalance and worsens social inequalities. Public funds for education, healthcare, and infrastructure are misused and defalcated, creating miseries for the vulnerable segments of society.

Nepotism and cronyism are the worst forms of corruption as licences and contracts are awarded not on merit but on personal connections and on the basis of grease money. Corruption gives rise to a culture of favouritism in which merit is ignored and the corrupt are favoured, resulting in a progressive, irreversible decline of social norms. It is a vicious cycle from which a society cannot extricate itself easily.

Needless to say, Pakistan’s worsening CPI score is symptomatic of a deepening malaise which calls for a surgical operation. In the past many governments made loud claims about fighting corruption but they were nothing more than rhetorical slogans and cosmetic exercises to calm down public resentment and demand for reform.

What is of special concern is the fact that the increase in corruption has gone side by side with a steep deterioration in the quality of governance. And whatever action has been taken at any time has been politically motivated and selective. In the name of accountability, sitting governments have targeted their political opponents. Such a policy has further eroded public trust in the existing institutions.

If we are serious about reversing this trend, we must go for a long term programme of  genuine institutional reforms. To this end, the first and foremost need is to depoliticise the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and make it a truly independent body supervised by the judiciary. Accountability should be across the board without regard to political affiliations. An independent judiciary and a strong legal framework are critical to ensure that corruption cases do not result in prolonged legal battles but lead to quick disposal. Greater transparency in public procurement and governance can also help reduce opportunities for corruption.

Since civil servants vested with vast powers to oversee and manage development projects involving public money are susceptible to the lure of corruption, the IMF has demanded that civil services officials in BPS 17 to 22 should declare their assets along with those owned by their family members. At a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week, the federal cabinet approved the proposed amendment to Section 15 of the Civil Servants Act 1973. The proposed amendment, expected to be enacted before the end of this month, is to make it mandatory for bureaucrats to provide details of their assets, including those owned by their spouses and children in Pakistan as well as any investments and properties they might have in other countries. Experts recommend that such asset declarations should be available for scrutiny by civil society members and the media. This will act as a check against mis-declaration or falsification of records.

Pakistan has suffered grievously from corruption over the years. Public funds have been looted and transferred abroad by government functionaries to buy property. A number of serious international corruption scandals have erupted in recent years in which Pakistanis from different sections of society have been named. Due to unchecked corruption, a few have become dirty rich at the cost of the general public. This loot of national wealth should be stopped now.