Transparency data reveals Pakistan’s varying performance on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) over the years, indicating fluctuations in corruption levels during different administrations. The data from Transparency International’s 28-year record highlights some key trends in corruption perception in Pakistan.
During former President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s tenure (1999 to 2007), the country scored low on the CPI, indicating a higher level of corruption. In the last year of Musharraf’s rule in 2007, Pakistan ranked 42nd on the CPI out of 138 countries assessed.
Under the government of Benazir Bhutto in 1996, Pakistan ranked 53rd/54th on the CPI. The subsequent years saw fluctuations, with different governments showing improvements or deteriorations in corruption perception.
The data shows that during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government from 2013 to 2018, corruption perception left behind 12 to 15 more countries on the CPI. In 2013, Pakistan ranked 49th out of 175 countries, and by 2017, the last year of PML-N’s tenure, the rank had jumped to 64th.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government, which began in 2008, initially ranked 47th on the CPI, but by the end of its term, the rank fell to 36th, surpassing 11 countries.
Under Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) coalition government from 2018 to 2022, Pakistan experienced fluctuations in corruption perception. In 2018, Pakistan ranked as the 64th most corrupt nation out of 180 countries, but during the last year of Khan’s rule, it surpassed 23 more countries in corruption and was ranked 41st on the CPI.
It’s important to note that the number of countries assessed has changed over the decades, impacting the historical comparison. The varying rankings suggest that corruption perception is influenced by several factors and can change significantly under different administrations.
