TRANSPARENCY International Pakistan (TIP) in its National Corruption Perception Survey (NCPS) 2022 found police the most corrupt, tendering and contracting was seen as the 2nd most corrupt, judiciary 3rd most corrupt while education has climbed to 4th most corrupt since last NCPS 2021.
The NCPS 2022 also showed no-confidence in anti-corruption entities including National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
At the national level, the majority of people considered anti-corruption institutions’ role as ‘ineffective’ in curbing corruption in Pakistan.
The report underlined those aspects of corruption that are practically out of sight of all those who matter in checking the menace in the country.
It is a matter of regret that the institutions that are otherwise supposed to take action against corrupt practices and the corrupt people are themselves on the top of the most corrupt institutions in the country.
Corruption in police and judiciary is proverbial as it is sarcastically complained that even walls of the court buildings and police stations ask for palm-greasing.
It is all the more unfortunate that instead of purging corruption from their own ranks the courts focus just on high profile and selected cases for motives other than the dispensation of justice.
Tall claims were made by successive governments about launching of judicial and police reforms but the situation is worsening day-by-day as far as corruption, misuse of powers and inefficiency are concerned.
It is because of this that the citizens have almost lost their confidence in the ability of police and the judiciary to provide them justice.
Tendering and contracting has rightly been included in the top most corrupt processes as commissions and kickbacks have become a routine right from purchase of stationary for offices to acquisition of equipment and machinery from other countries besides award of contracts for development projects which is the main reason behind substandard construction.
The TIP report says education remained the most corrupt sector in Sindh but ground realities in Punjab are no different where teachers are routinely exploited by the powerful clerk mafia.
There is, no doubt, greater realization among the society about elimination of corruption but progress on this front demands, among other things, focused attention on police, judiciary and public dealing organizations.
