The most corrupt sectors in the country are perceived to be the police, judicial system, and tender/procurement. Furthermore, public opinion suggests that provincial governments demonstrate higher levels of corruption than local governments.
This conclusion is drawn from the National Corruption Perception Survey (NCPS) 2025, which was released by the Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) on Tuesday.
TIP Chairman Justice (retd) Zia Perwez said the survey explores a wide range of themes, including sectors perceived as more corrupt, factors contributing to corruption, and public views on accountability of anti-corruption institutions.
“It also gauges perceptions of government efforts to combat corruption, economic stability, and ethical practices in the healthcare sector. Questions related to political financing, whistleblower protection, and transparency in tax-exempted charitable organisations reflect citizens’ growing concern for integrity and openness across all sectors,” he said.
According to the NCPS 2025, overwhelming dissatisfaction was found with the government’s efforts to curb corruption, with 77% of respondents expressing discontent. Province-wise, dissatisfaction levels are: Balochistan (80%), Punjab (78%), and Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (75% each).
Encouragingly, the survey found that 66% of respondents nationwide reported not encountering any situation where they were compelled to pay a bribe. Economically, however, 57% of citizens said their purchasing power had declined in the last 12 months, compared to 43% who felt improvement. Despite this, a combined 58% of respondents (40% partially + 18% fully) agreed that the government successfully stabilised the economy through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and the FATF exit.
NCPS 2025 highlights strong national preference for either banning or regulating the business funding to political parties and politicians to reduce corruption. Nationally, there is a near-equal split between those who favour it being “completely banned” (42%) and those who believe it should be “allowed with regulation” (41%). At provincial level, this trend holds true, with the average combined desire for either banning or regulating the practice being at 83%.
Furthermore, 55% of the public favour banning the use of party names or leadership photos in government advertisements, countering what has become routine practice.
The survey, conducted from September 22 to 29, reveals that provincial governments are perceived as more corrupt than local governments, with 59% of respondents expressing distrust, reaching a high of 70% in Punjab. In a strong indictment of the watchdogs themselves, 78% of Pakistanis want accountability for anti-corruption bodies like the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Key concerns cited were lack of transparency in investigations (35%), no independent oversight (33%), and political victimisation (32%).
Nationwide, the police are ranked as the most corrupt sector by 24% of respondents, followed by tender & procurement (16%) and the judiciary (14%). Punjab reported the worst perception about police at 34%, followed by Balochistan (22%), Sindh (21%), and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (20%).
Balochistan showed the highest concern for procurement at 23%, followed by KP (18%), Sindh (14%), and Punjab (9%).Public perception of judicial corruption was highest in KP (18%) and Punjab (17%), compared to 12% in Sindh and Balochistan.
Despite the generally grim perceptions, 66% of people nationwide said they did not personally pay bribes for public services. However, Sindh reported the highest bribe experience (46%), followed by Punjab (39%), Balochistan (31%), and KP (20%).
Pakistanis identified three main reasons fuelling corruption: lack of accountability (15%), lack of transparency & access to information (15%), and delayed disposal of corruption cases (14%).
Provincial Anti-Corruption Establishments (ACEs) are widely viewed as ineffective, with 33% calling them “non-effective” and 34% calling them “less effective.” The perception of ineffectiveness was highest in Sindh (39%) and Punjab (37%).
The NCPS 2025, the TIP chief said, does not measure corruption itself; rather, it highlights how people perceive and experience it in their daily interactions with public institutions and services.
“These perceptions are a vital indicator of public trust—signalling where governance reforms, transparency measures, and accountability mechanisms are most needed,” he said.
Through this survey, the TIP said, it continues its commitment to amplifying citizens’ voices, fostering dialogue, and promoting evidence-based policymaking to strengthen integrity and accountability in Pakistan.
PM Shehbaz hails TIP’s report
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed satisfaction over Transparency International’s report on public perception of corruption in Pakistan.
In a statement, the prime minister said that according to the survey a large number of the public has expressed the view that they have not faced corruption during his government. “This opinion is a recognition of our efforts in the fight against corruption and promoting transparency,” he added.
He said majority of the people have deemed the government’s measures for economic recovery successful, which is highly encouraging.
Shehbaz said this report by the Transparency International is proof of the success of the reforms implemented by the government. “We have worked on a priority basis to establish a merit-based and transparent system in every sector of the government, and we are continuing these efforts,” he said.
The prime minister said improving economic indicators, reforms and government policies and actions that have received positive public feedback are the result of effective teamwork.
He commended the efforts of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb and his team.
He said the journey towards progress has begun with economic stability. He said the government is committed to further improving the country’s economy, providing excellent services to the public and completely eradicating corruption.
