Control of corruption

Is public power used for private gain?

Indicators

Control of corruption measures the extent to which public power is exercised for private gain, including both petty and grand corruption, as well as 'capture' of the state by elites and private interests.

What it measures

Petty corruption: small bribes for everyday services.
Grand corruption: large-scale theft and kickbacks by senior officials.
State capture: elites shaping laws and policies for their own benefit.
Effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions.

Application in Pakistan

Transparency International's National Corruption Perception Surveys have identified the police, the judiciary and public procurement among the sectors most perceived as corrupt.
Institutions: NAB, FIA, provincial anti-corruption establishments, the Auditor-General and ombudsmen.
Problems: politicization of accountability, slow trials, low conviction rates, and changes to accountability laws with each government.
Positive steps: e-procurement (e-PADS), digital tax filing, asset declarations of parliamentarians through the Election Commission, and the Right of Access to Information Act 2017.

Way forward

Independent, depoliticized anti-corruption bodies.
Digitization to reduce discretion and face-to-face contact.
Transparency in public procurement and beneficial ownership.
Protection for whistle-blowers.
Simpler tax and regulatory systems.

Note

Pakistan's figures here are approximate recent ranges; check the latest annual release of the Worldwide Governance Indicators for exact values.