Transparency International: Pakistan slips further on corruption perceptions index

• In Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2021, Pakistan scores 28 out of 100.
• Pakistan's rank slips from 124 to 140.
• No change in CPI 2021 score of India, Bangladesh. 

Pakistan has slipped further in Transparency International's latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI 2021), with the Opposition berating the Imran Khan-led government and demanding the prime minister's resignation.

Pakistan's rank has fallen 16 places to 140 from 124 out of 180 countries, Transparency International's report showed Tuesday. In CPI 2021, Pakistan scored 28 out of 100.

"The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople, uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean," the organisation said.

Read more: Pakistan slides in Transparency International's corruption perception rankings

Responding to the development, TI Pakistan Vice-Chair Justice (retd) Nasira Iqbal said: "The absence of Rule of Law and State Capture has resulted in substantial low CPI 2021 score of Pakistan compared to CPI 2020, from 31/100 to 28/100 and rank from 124/180 to 140/180."

The vice-chair noted that there is no change in CPI 2021 Scores of India and Bangladesh from CPI 2020.

Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair of Transparency International said: “Human rights are not simply a nice-to-have in the fight against corruption. Ensuring people can speak freely and work collectively to hold power to account is the only sustainable route to a corruption-free society.”

The report comes hours after Prime Minister Imran Khan's adviser on accountability and interior, Shahzad Akbar, stepped down from office on Monday. 

Global highlights

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

The CPI global average remains unchanged at 43 for the tenth year in a row, and two-thirds of countries score below 50, a statement from the corruption watchdog said.

The top countries on the index are Denmark (88), Finland (88) and New Zealand (88), all of which also rank in the top 10% in the world on the Democracy Index civil liberties score, it said.

Somalia (13), Syria (13) and South Sudan (11) remain at the bottom of the CPI. Syria is also ranked last in civil liberties (Somalia and South Sudan are unrated), it added.

Report an indictment against govt: Shahbaz

In response, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif said for the second consecutive year, Transparency International has "testified" that corruption during the incumbent government is a "thief and is corrupt".

"The international organisation's report is an indictment [against the government] and the corrupt rulers should resign. The country cannot bear their plundering anymore," Shahbaz said.

The Opposition leader said the prime minister's "corruption rank" was increasing at a rapid pace, as he lamented that Pakistan's further slip in the corruption perception index was unfortunate.

Shahbaz said during ex-premier Nawaz Sharif's government, "corruption had witnessed a decrease [...] due to PML-N's transparency, good governance, and reforms, Pakistan's rank increased".

He said when there is corruption in every sector, including electricity, gas, medicine, LNG, coronavirus funds, then why won't the corruption perception index fall from 124 to 140.

'Charge sheet'

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said the report was a charge sheet against the incumbent government, as it had "exposed" the prime minister's narrative.

"The government which vowed to end corruption has fallen further below 16 countries. On the other hand, the adviser on accountability's resignation proves that corruption has increased."