Pakistan has hit its lowest score since 2012 in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2022, ranking 140 out of 180 countries, Transparency International said in a report on Tuesday.

The Index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople. It relies on 13 independent data sources, including bribery, diversion of public funds, officials using their public office for private gain without facing consequences and others, and uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

In CPI 2022, more than two-thirds of countries (68 per cent) score below 50 and the average global score remains unchanged at 43. Since 2012, 25 countries significantly improved their scores, but in the same period 31 countries significantly declined.

In its report, the TI wrote: “Pakistan too has continued its statistically significant downward trend, this year hitting its lowest score since 2012 at just 27 points amidst ongoing political turmoil”.

Prime Minister Imran Khan came to power promising to tackle rampant corruption and promote social and economic reforms, but little has been accomplished on any of these fronts since he took the reins in 2018, it highlighted.

After he was ousted in a no confidence vote this April, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified him from running for office for another five years and filed a plea in session court for criminal proceedings over allegations he failed to declare gifts and profits he made from selling them during his tenure, it added.

Khan has begun a separate court case against the ECP, challenging the ECP’s jurisdiction over candidate qualification.
“While awaiting the verdicts from these two cases, it’s most important that the new government does not allow such political scandals to derail comprehensive anti-corruption efforts. It’s time for concrete action with a holistic and effective anti-corruption plan that addresses illicit financial flows and introduces safeguards for civic space,” the report reads.

In 2021, the country s corruption score deteriorated to 28 while it was 31 in 2020 while it was ranked 124 out of 180 countries.

In contrast, India s CPI score stood at 40 while Bangladesh was 25. The two countries ranked 85 and 147, respectively.
Countries with strong institutions and well-functioning democracies often find themselves at the top of the Index. Denmark tops the ranking, with a score of 90. Finland and New Zealand follow closely with a score of 87. Norway (84), Singapore (83), Sweden (83), Switzerland (82), the Netherlands (80), Germany (79), Ireland (77) and Luxembourg (77) complete the top 10 this year.

On the flip side, countries experiencing conflict or where basic personal and political freedoms are highly restricted tend to earn the lowest marks. This year, Somalia (12), Syria (13), and South Sudan (13) are at the bottom of the index. Venezuela (14), Yemen (16), Libya (17), North Korea (17), Haiti (17), Equatorial Guinea (17) and Burundi (17) are also in the bottom 10.