Pakistan ranking on graft index improved under Shehbaz-led PDM govt: report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ranking on the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) improved during the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government in 2023.

The improvement in ranking reflects that the menace of corruption subsided during the brief stint of Shehbaz Sharif-led government compared to his rival Imran Khan’s 2018-2022 tenure.

As per the analysis of TI’s previous reports, corruption in Pakistan has been on the rise since 2018. The TI’s 2022 CPI report on global corruption also found Pakistan under Shehbaz-Imran’s shared rule as more corrupt than before.

The decline of Pakistan’s ranking on the global corruption index under the PTI’s rule was contradictory to cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s pledge to eliminate corruption from the country. According to a TI 2023 report released on Tuesday, Pakistan was ranked 133 out of 180 countries while its overall score jumped to 29 out of 100.

The previous report ranked Pakistan at 140 while the country’s overall score fell to 27 in the same year — the lowest since 2012. However, this year’s report shows Pakistan’s score on CPI 2023 has improved by 2 points from 27 to 29 and the country’s rank has improved by 7 positions from 140 in CPI 2022 to 133 in the latest rankings.

The report noted that although Pakistan grapples with debt burdens and ensuing political instability, the strong judicial oversight helps to keep the government in check.

“The Supreme Court of Pakistan strengthened citizens’ right to information by expanding this right under Article 19A of its Constitution to previously restricted institutions,” it added. Reacting to the report, PMLN said after 4 years of utter corruption under Imran Khan’s rule, Pakistan “managed to curb this nuisance in the country when Shehbaz Sharif became the Prime Minister.”

Justice (retd) Zia Perwez, chair of Transparency International Pakistan, termed the improvement encouraging, saying that the improvement is a result of anti-corruption efforts taken by different pillars of the state.

“The government policies aimed at better governance and effective enforcement of the laws are expected to yield positive results in the future,” he added in a statement.

The TI Pakistan chief said Transparency International called on governments to give justice systems the independence, resources and transparency needed to effectively punish all corruption offences and provide checks and balances on power.

“Where necessary, they must also introduce better procedures and laws to help justice institutions shield themselves from and target corrupt acts”.