Police remain most corrupt institution in Pakistan, reveals survey

Transparency International Pakistan's National Corruption Perception Survey (NCPS) 2023 has revealed that the police in Pakistan remains the most corrupt institution.

The survey, conducted from October 13 to October 31 across all four provinces with 1,600 respondents, revealed variations in corruption perceptions regionally. Tendering and contracting follows closely as the second most corrupt sector at 16 per cent, with the judiciary ranking third at 13 per cent nationally.

In Sindh, the police claimed the top spot as the most corrupt sector at 37 per cent, while in Punjab, the police remained at the forefront with 25 per cent. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) saw a surge in police corruption at 37 per cent, and in Balochistan, tendering and contracting took the lead at 31 per cent.

On a national level, the average expenditure on bribery was approximately Rs11,121, and the judiciary had the highest average bribery expenditure at Rs25,846 for public service delivery. 

The survey highlighted citizens' concerns about the private sector's influence, with 75 per cent feeling it contributed to corruption. Additionally, 68 per cent believed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Anti-Corruption were used for “political victimization”.

The survey connected corruption to environmental issues, with 62 per cent nationally attributing corruption and unethical practices to environmental degradation and climate change exacerbation.

Despite this, 67 per cent felt provincial and local governments did not consider their views in shaping climate policies.

The majority (47 percent) identified corruption as the primary obstacle hindering Pakistan's progress, emphasising the need for transparency and accountability in various sectors.