Asif Mahmood
On the silver line, Transparency International’s recently released National Corruption Perception Survey offers a truly encouraging and optimistic outlook.
Reading Transparency International’s recently released National Corruption Perception Survey offers something really encouraging and optimistic. prompts a reflection. If local governments were active and conducted similar surveys regularly and then acted upon their findings, the entire outlook of Pakistan could transform.
It is important to understand that this survey does not present hard statistics. Rather, it reflects public sentiment, capturing what citizens think about corruption. The survey covered 4,000 individuals across 20 districts, including urban and rural populations, men and women, and persons with disabilities. While such surveys cannot produce definitive numbers, they offer critical insight into public perceptions, highlighting both societal frustrations and areas of hope.
Much of the report confirms what many of us already know. For instance, the police top the corruption rankings, a predictable outcome given the persistent trust deficit between law enforcement and citizens. Had any other institution occupied this position, it would have been breaking news.
Yet even here, the report reveals a surprising silver lining. Public perception of the police has improved by six percent. Although the police remain at the top of the list, this slight improvement is significant. It raises questions worth exploring. Is this a statistical artifact, or have certain reforms or initiatives begun to yield tangible results? Sociology and public policy analysis have rarely been treated seriously in Pakistan. Had they been, discussions would focus on understanding why public perception improved and how such improvements could be replicated elsewhere.
Another notable and encouraging finding is that 66 percent of respondents reported not encountering a situation in the past twelve months that required them to pay a bribe. This could indicate either that a significant portion of the population did not engage with government services or that services were delivered without corruption. Local-level surveys could clarify this, identifying which departments are functioning effectively and which remain bottlenecks. Such granular data could allow targeted interventions, enabling policymakers to know precisely where corruption persists and where governance has improved.
The survey also sheds light on what citizens want from their government. Respondents called for stronger accountability, minimal discretionary powers, and robust right-to-information laws. Seventy-eight percent of citizens want anti-corruption institutions like NAB and FIA to be transparent and answerable, showing that the public seeks reform not only at the street level but also within powerful state institutions. Citizens also demand strict oversight over pharma commissions, clear regulations governing private medical practice, strong regulators, and effective complaint mechanisms. More than half of the respondents want political names and images removed from government advertisements. These demands are neither trivial nor abstract. They reflect the aspirations of a society eager for fair and accountable governance.
The broader lesson is clear. While Transparency International’s survey is valuable, its national scope limits its depth. Each province and each district has unique challenges and priorities. Local governments, through grassroots surveys and continuous citizen engagement, could map these realities more accurately. Policies shaped in consultation with citizens rather than imposed from above could dramatically improve governance, service delivery, and public trust.
The tragedy is that such reports are often politicized. Headlines focus on controversy. A few points are sensationalized. A storm is created, and within days public attention shifts to the next crisis. Imagine the difference if discussions around these findings were guided by societal reform rather than political point-scoring. If government departments at the provincial and local levels embraced citizen feedback as a tool for improvement, Pakistan could move from merely acknowledging corruption to actively combating it.
As Emily Dickinson beautifully puts it, “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” May that hope inspire Pakistan to move toward a future of peace, prosperity, and justice.
The writer is a lawyer and author based in Islamabad. He tweets @m_asifmahmood
