Pakistan’s Governance Crisis Deepens as It Drops in Transparency International’s CPI

Pakistan has suffered a sharp decline in Transparency International’s (TI) latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), dropping two places to 135th out of 180 countries in 2024, compared to 133rd last year. The country’s score has plummeted to a dismal 27 out of 100, down from 29 in 2023, underscoring a deepening crisis in public sector integrity. The Berlin-based watchdog’s scathing report, released Tuesday, paints a grim picture of Pakistan’s ongoing battle with corruption.

Justice (retd) Zia Perwez, Chair of Transparency International Pakistan, made it clear that Pakistan’s fall in the rankings is part of a broader regional decline, with several South Asian countries also suffering similar setbacks. Yet, despite the widespread regression, nations like Oman, China, Turkey, and Mongolia have managed to buck the trend, showing signs of improvement.

The report highlights Pakistan’s persistent governance failures, particularly in managing climate finance and implementing regulatory reforms. Despite the country’s vulnerability to climate change, progress has been stifled by systemic obstacles, including significant delays in enforcing the Climate Change Act of 2017. As a result, Pakistan is drastically off-track to meet the projected $348 billion needed by 2030 to build climate resilience, further exposing the depth of its governance crisis.

The CPI ranks nations based on public sector corruption, with scores ranging from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Pakistan’s shocking score of 27 places it far behind the global average of 43, with more than two-thirds of countries languishing below a 50 score. The report reflects a global failure to combat corruption, with only a handful of countries making any meaningful progress.

Denmark continues to lead the charge with a near-perfect score of 90, followed by Finland at 88 and Singapore at 84. At the other extreme, South Sudan stands as the most corrupt nation on the index, with a horrific score of 8, trailed by Somalia and Venezuela, which scored 9 and 10, respectively.

SOURCE: The Profit Magazine Pakistan.