CORRUPTION can best be defined as a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse of power for one’s gain. The malignant tumor of corruption has been gnawing at the very foundations of the country since independence and today the two greatest threats to Pakistan are religious militancy and extremism and financial corruption at all levels of soci-ety. According to the latest report issued by Transparency International our ranking on the Corruption Perception In-dex (CPI) has dropped by two points from 133 in 2023 to 135 in 2024 out of 180 countries. The CPI ranks 180 coun-tries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean) Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland have all scored above 80 during the last four years of scrutiny, have been classified as the least corrupt countries in the world— ranking consistently high among international financial transparency — while the most apparently corrupt is Somalia (scoring 9). Ironically there is not a single Muslim nation in this elite group of least corrupt nations proving again that an over-emphasis on religion or constructing more masjids and madrasahs does not result in an honest and clean society. Den-mark has the highest score of 90 on the CPI followed by Finland 88 and Singapore 84. Countries ranked most corrupt are South Sudan 8, Somalia 9, Venezuela 10, Syria 12, Libya 13, Eritrea 13, Yemen 13 here again the list of most corrupt nations is full of Muslim nations.India and Pakistan both gained their freedom in 1947 and both countries have same kind of people therefore both countries inherited similar type of problems and corruption being one of them. Post-Independence, India has done development in almost every field better than Pakistan due to its preference on education, health and infrastructure. India had taken strong steps to curb corruption from society to make a transparent system while Pakistan failed to do so because of Political instabilities and internal conflicts to grab the power. Today India ranks 84 in the corruption index released by Transparency International for the year 2024 as compared to Paki-stan on 135 so even in honesty our declared enemy happens to be far better than us.
Pakistan is one country facing the challenges of global warming and extreme weather events and the endemic cor-ruption in its ranks is making it most difficult to combat the dangers of nature and the mounting climate crisis and the international community has yet to define the link between corruption and climate crisis. Francois Valerian chair of Transparency International said “ Corruption is an evolving global threat that does far more than undermine develop-ment—-It is a key cause of declining democracy, instability and human rights violations.” And further “The interna-tional community and every nation must make tackling corruption a top and long term priority. This is crucial to push-ing back against authoritarianism and securing a peaceful, free and sustainable world. The dangerous trends revealed in this year’s Corruption Perception Index highlight the need to follow through with concrete action now to address global corruption” the statement further added “Corruption weakens Govt. structures, undermines law enforcement and diverts critical climate finance intended to reduce emissions and build resilience” “The international community and every nation must make tackling corruption a top and long-term priority. This is crucial to pushing back against authoritarianism and securing a peaceful, free and sustainable world. The dangerous trends revealed in this year’s Corruption Perception Index highlight the need to follow through with concrete action now to address global corruption,” the report quoted Valerian as saying. “Corruption weakens governance structures, undermines law enforcement and diverts critical climate finance in-tended to reduce emissions and build resilience,” the report noted. “Without robust national anti-corruption measures, the effectiveness of global climate agreements such as the Paris Agreement remains at risk,” it warned.
Transparency International Chief Executive Officer Maíra Martini stated: “Today, corrupt forces not only shape but often dictate policies and dismantle checks and balances — silencing journalists, activists, and anyone fighting for equality and sustainability.” The CPI highlights the billions of dollars of climate funds that are at risk of being stolen or misused. Most countries that are highly vulnerable to climate change score below 50 on the CPI. Huge numbers of people are at needless risk because corruption is impairing climate projects meant to protect them. This highlights the critical need for robust transparency and accountability measures to ensure the effective use of these funds.
IT comes as little surprise. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2024, unveiled on Tues-day, sees Pakistan drop two points from its overall score, which now stands at 27. It is an embarrassing reflection on those in power, especially after the improvement reported just a year earlier. Several stakeholders had rushed to take credit for Pakistan’s two-point improvement in 2023, celebrating it as a shining example of the country doing better under its new management. It remains to be seen whether anyone will step forward to take responsibility for the re-gression that has been seen the very next year. As it is, there are several other fires that need tending. Looking at the broader picture, the CPI trend for Pakistan reveals some interesting insights. Starting from 2018, the country has done consistently worse every year in terms of the perceived prevalence of corruption, with 2023 being the sole exception. This decline has run parallel to the increasing influence of unelected stakeholders in governance, raising concerns about accountability and transparency under ‘hybrid’ regimes. On the other hand, between 2012 and 2018, Pakistan did consistently better in terms of perceived corruption in the country. This should be taken as an opportunity for reflection.
—The writer is Professor of History, based in Islamabad.
