Corruption increases: TI

Corruption in Pakistan increased in 2019 as compared to the preceding year, as Pakistan's ranking dropped to 120 out of 180 countries with a score of 32 out of 100, according to the annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report for 2019, released by Transparency International (TI).

According to the TI, the CPI index Pakistan was assigned a score of 32, a point lower than its score of 33 in the 2018 index and well below the global average of 43.

The TI releases the index every year, ranking 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people. Pakistan was ranked at the 117th place in the years 2017 and 2018.

Pakistan was ranked 120th on the CPI this year, like Niger, but above regional partners like Afghanistan (173rd), Iran (146th) and Bangladesh (146th). The arch-rival India was ranked at the 80th place, scoring 41/100 on the CPI, according to the TI.

The top countries on the index were New Zealand and Denmark, with scores of 87 each, followed by Finland (86), Singapore (85), Sweden (85) and Switzerland (85). The bottom countries were Somalia, South Sudan and Syria, with scores of 9, 12 and 13, respectively.

In the index, Pakistan was placed in the Asia-Pacific region, which had an average CPI score of 45 after many consecutive years of an average score of 44, illustrating general stagnation across the region.

The report says that the CPI 2019 shows that corruption is more pervasive in countries where big money can flow freely into electoral campaigns and where governments listen only to the voices of wealthy or well-connected individuals.

It says that similar to previous years, the data shows that despite some progress, a majority of countries are still failing to tackle public sector corruption effectively. The current state of corruption speaks to a need for greater political integrity in many countries, it says.

The report says that to have any chance of curbing corruption, governments must strengthen checks and balances, limit the influence of big money in politics and ensure broad input in political decision-making. Public policies and resources should not be determined by economic power or political influence, but by fair consultation and impartial budget allocation, it says.

The report recommended that governments should reduce the risk of undue influence in policy making by tightening controls over financial and other interests of government officials. In order to prevent excessive money and influence in politics, governments should improve and properly enforce campaign for finance regulations, it says.

According to the report, for democracy to be effective against corruption, governments must ensure that elections are free and fair. Preventing and sanctioning vote buying and misinformation campaigns are essential to rebuild trust in governments and ensuring that citizens can use their vote to punish corrupt politicians.

In a message to the governments of all states, TI Chair Delia Ferreira Rubio asked them to "urgently address" the corrupting role of big money in political party financing and the undue influence it exerts on political systems.