Corruption is a real enemy of development of any country. The causes and effects of corruption and how to combat corruption are the issues that are increasingly on the national and international agendas of politicians and policymakers.
Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gains. It can be classified as grand, petty and political, depending on the amount of money lost, according to Transparency International. In other words, corruption is a form of dishonest or unethical conduct of an individual entrusted with a power or may be holding any authority or position just for the attainment of personal gains whereas transparency means shedding light on shady deals, weak enforcement of rules and illicit practices that undermine good governments, ethical businesses and society at large.
Corruption occurs because it is human nature to take the easy way out and to gain personal benefit from whatever means possible. Both “nature” (biological) and “nurture” (psychological) factors have a part in corruption. Among the causes of corruption are rising poverty and unemployment that seek roots in our society and later turn into social evils such as drugs addiction, bribery, street crimes, terrorism etc.
Since 1995, Transparency International has been releasing Corruption Perception Index of the countries that it surveys. It is a moment of immense pleasure for all the Pakistanis that Pakistan has jumped from 50th position to 53rd on Berlin-based Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, 2015. Pakistan has fared better than all SAARC states.
Pakistan scored 27/100 in 2012 and was ranked at 36th position from the bottom. The country was ranked 49th in 2013, 50th in 2014 and 53rd in 2015. Though it is not an enviable position but it represents a transformation.
In order to combat this issue, a long-term strategy needs to be evolved. A few measures need to be taken like strengthening of institutions, supremacy of law, prevalence of code of conduct, proper check and balance on all officials as well as citizens, increase in salaries and incentives, independence of judiciary for prompt dispensation of justice, hiring of new employees on merit rather than nepotism, and proper awareness campaigns also need to be taken. There should be proper system that will hold all accountable under the rule of law.
Pakistan has high level of media freedom, access to information, high level of integrity among the people in power, and independent judiciary. The journey towards prosperity and good governance has already begun in the right direction. Let us just all hope for a better Pakistan, a Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam dreamt of. Rightly put into words by Joe Biden, Vice President of USA, “Fighting corruption is not just good governance. It’s self-defense. It’s patriotism.”
WAJEEHA AHMAD
Lahore
