LAHORE: The World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) are blunt instruments: they do not explain politics, but they do measure how citizens, businesses and experts perceive the way a country is governed.
The latest WGI release (data through 2023) offers a stark reminder that Pakistan continues to lag its regional peers on most governance fronts — and that the consequences show up in investor confidence, state capacity and everyday service delivery.
The WGI numbers are neither destiny nor final judgement. They are an evidence base for debate. Pakistan’s future depends on policy choices that convert modest improvements in governance scores into visible changes in people’s lives like reliable electricity, timely health care, functioning courts and the prospect that private enterprise can grow without paying bribes. If political actors treat these reforms as long-term national assets rather than short-term political costs, the numbers will begin to tell a different story.
Pakistan remains deeply negative on political stability and control of corruption: in 2023 Pakistan’s political stability score was about — 1.93 and its control of corruption roughly — 1.00. These are not small deviations — they place Pakistan among the weaker performers globally on those two dimensions. Political volatility and pervasive corruption perceptions erode the predictability investors and citizens need.
On the dimensions that support public service delivery — government effectiveness, regulatory quality and rule of law — Pakistan’s scores remain negative (government effectiveness 0.58, regulatory quality 0.90, rule of law 0.86). Those numbers capture chronic weaknesses: weak policymaking and implementation, cumbersome or poorly enforced regulation, and a justice system that often fails to resolve disputes quickly and fairly. The practical result is higher costs for “Putting Pakistan beside its neighbours is revealing. India’s 2023 WGI profile is plainly stronger on many fronts — for example, government effectiveness ~+0.48 and rule of law ~+0.19, though India is not immune to concerns about voice, media freedom and regulatory capture. China scores high on government execution (government effectiveness +0.68) but is low on voice and accountability ( 1.5) — showing again that different development models can register better performance on some governance axes than others. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka sit between these poles: both show serious weaknesses (Bangladesh especially on corruption and regulatory quality; Sri Lanka improved in some macro areas after its crisis but still carries governance scars).
The politicians must realise that governance is not abstract. Weak rule of law, weak regulatory quality and low government effectiveness translate into missed investment, slower growth and poorer public services. They also increase vulnerability to crises: when institutions are weak, shocks like floods, fiscal shocks, or political turmoil are harder to manage and recover from. Small numerical improvements on the WGI scale matter. Pakistan’s scores have had modest ups and downs over the past decade, but the country remains well below the global average on most indicators; marginal progress will not impress markets without visible reforms that strengthen institutions.
It should be ensured that the state remains predictable. Investors and citizens value predictable rules more than sudden incentives. Codifying procedures, reducing discretionary powers in licensing and procurement, and strengthening oversight bodies reduces rent-seeking and raises effective regulatory quality.
It is essential to strengthen justice and enforcement. Faster courts, alternative dispute resolution and a streamlined commercial court process lower the cost of doing business. Rule-of-law gains are among the most durable boosters of investment.
Instead of rhetoric corruption must be tackled with transparency, not theatre. Real anti-corruption progress combines consistent enforcement, transparent procurement and open data — not episodic headlines. Digital procurement platforms and stronger audit follow-through are practical, low-cost priorities.