Pakistan Reader# 286, 2 February 2022
D. Suba Chandran
About the corruption index
In January 2022, Transparency International, a global watchdog that works on corruption, published its annual index. Titled “Corruption Perceptions Index 2021,” the report looks at 180 countries, especially relating to perceptions in the public sector. On a scale from zero to hundred, highly corrupt countries are given low grades (starting from zero), and countries with the least corruption are given high grades (close to 100). Denmark, Finland, New Zealand have scored a maximum of 88 on the scale of hundred, thus being the least corrupt countries.
Norway, Sweden, Singapore, Switzerland, Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany, along with the top three forms least corrupt countries according to the index in 2021. South Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela, Yemen, North Korea, Afghanistan, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, and Turkmenistan are on the other side of the spectrum – being the most corrupt countries.
According to the index, in South Asia, with a grade of 16, Afghanistan is the most corrupt country. Bangladesh (26) and Pakistan (28) form the second and third most corrupt countries in the region, according to the index. Nepal (33) and Sri Lanka (37) are better placed than the other three on the bottom list. India and the Maldives are placed together with 40, while Bhutan keeps the top (68) in terms of the least corrupt in the region. (Grades and placement of the countries in the list should not be confused. Countries with higher grades are placed at the top; countries with lower grades are placed at the bottom of the list of 180. Denmark, Finland and New Zealand have scored high, hence placed at the top)
Corruption index and Pakistan: Two takeaways and their political fallouts
One could identify the following two takeaways from the latest report.
First, during the PTI’s rule, Pakistan has become more corrupt. In 2021, of the 180 countries, Pakistan was placed at 140; in 2018, Pakistan was better placed at 117. By 2019, one year after Imran Khan took over, it moved to 120, and in 2020 it moved down further to 124. In 2021, there is a further steep fall to 140. The simple conclusion should be the popular perception in Pakistan is – the present government is more corrupt than the previous one.
Second, the PML-N has done better in dealing with corruption. According to the same index, Pakistan was placed at 139 in 2011 and 2012. However, the perceptions improved considerably by 2015 and 2016; Pakistan had moved to 116 and 115. When compared to the governments in Pakistan during the above period, one could argue that the PML-N government improved the perceptions regarding corruption vis-à-vis the previous government led by the PPP. The corruption index also means, the PTI government has not improved the perceptions about corruption in Pakistan; rather, its performance is worse than the PML-N.
So what does the above mean? The corruption index should be a political disaster for the PTI government and Imran Khan’s tall claims. Many independent analysts question the methodology and the parameters that Transparency International use to arrive at the index. However, in Pakistan, Imran Khan used to critique the then governments using the same report. Hence, the report should apply to his government’s performance as well. According to the report mentioned above, his government has fared worse than the PML-N. Instead of improving Pakistan’s placement amongst the 180 countries, Imran Khan’s government has pushed it down.
Imran Khan should be worried about the above perception within Pakistan. With elections scheduled in 2023, this perception would be politically disastrous. Imran Khan spent more capital on the anti-corruption slogan to target the PML-N government. This goes against Imran’s claims about a clean government and removing corruption in 90 days.
While Imran Khan and his ministers are trying to put a brave face post the report by creating a narrative that there were no financial scandals during the PTI government, and the Sharifs are embroiled in corruption cases.
In the above context, there are three issues. First, the popular perceptions about the PTI government. Second, the corruption cases against the Sharifs. Third, bringing the looted money back to Pakistan. The Transparency International report has pulled down the first narrative on Imran’s government as a clean one.
The second and third ones – the corruption cases against the Sharifs and bringing back the looted money – also seem to have run its course. With the recent resignation of Shahzad Akbar, referred to by the media as the PTI’s accountability czar, Imran would find an alternative to building another narrative on accountability. The accountability narrative and the actions through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) were mainly aimed at “fixing” the Sharifs and thereby disqualifying them permanently in front of the people. Dawn, in its editorial on 26 January, wrote, “Shahzad Akbar’s unceremonious departure is the latest evidence that the government’s accountability drive is slowly coming undone. This should surprise no one. It is by now fairly obvious that this drive has been politically motivated and aimed primarily at netting the opponents of the ruling party. The NAB had also contributed to this discrediting of accountability by pursuing cases against various opposition leaders while looking the other way when it came to allegations against those people associated with the government.”
So, what does the above mean?
While the government is trying to interpret Transparency International’s findings, it should be worried about the changing perceptions about the party amongst the people. While the Establishment did help Imran Khan during the 2018 elections, his slogan of a corruption-free Pakistan was strong and attracted the people to vote for the PTI.
The people believed and perceived that Imran Khan would better government. That perception is now being questioned. From the courts to the civil society, there have been numerous questions over the functioning of the NAB during the last few years. The failure of the National Accountability Bureau to produce results and bring back the looted wealth makes the entire process questionable. The resignation of Shahzad Akbar should be the icing over a failed narrative.
An essential weapon that Imran Khan effectively used against his opponents during the 2018 elections – anti-corruption, stands blunted now.
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