Topic

Introduction Corruption is a menace that tarnishes the foundation of a society. Nothing seems to hamper the socio-economic development and political progress of a country more than corruption. Unfortunately, in Pakistan corruption has become a cancer whose vicious cells are increasing exponentially and weakening the social fabric of the society. Its ubiquitous manifestations are horrendous. Abysmal economic growth and loss of legitimacy of institutions are the prominent impacts of corruption. Likewise, poor public infrastructure and stark economic inequalities are also a product of corruption. Shady business deals are running rampant and transparency is abysmally low. However, several reasons have drowned the country into the sea of corruption. Some of them are poor governance, absence of transparency and lack of accountability. Moreover, political bureaucratic nexus and outdated official modus operandi also worsen the situation. Hence, these factors resulted in further propagating corruption in the roots of the society. In order to eradicate corruption, important steps are needed to be taken. Otherwise, Pakistan will remain in the hot water of corruption dilemma. Firstly, corruption severely hampers economic growth, perpetuating a vicious cycle of stagnation and inequality in the country. According to Anti Corruption Cell, there is about 8.5 trillion loss of economic growth due to corruption. Likewise, the unprecedented level of corruption is destroying the developmental foundation of the State. Precisely, it can be said that corruption tarnishes the social fabric of the society which results in increasing unemployment rate and tax evasion. Moreover, burgeoning inflation in the country is also a product of corruption. Inflation is caused when the demand for certain goods rises. In Pakistan, an increase in the demand for foreign currency shoots up, the local currency is devalued. According to Transparency International, from 2008 to 2021, the black money obtained from corrupt practices laundered abroad in the form of a dollar. Thus, black money that was laundered through illegal channels is responsible for recent inflation. Further, corruption is a global dilemma that cannot be particularized to a specific community, however, studies indicate that the phenomenon is much more prevalent in developing or post-colonial states. Hence, Pakistan's existence is alarming. Transparency International statistics show that the country ranked 140th in the Corruption Perception (CPI) in 2022. The major sectors breeding corruption in the state are police, judiciary, taxation and local government. Among all these, the police is the most corrupt sector (30%) followed by public tendering (16%) and judiciary (13%), National Corruption Perception Survey 2023. To conclude, it is stated that corruption lies at the heart of Pakistan's multiple challenges. The state must begin to see transparency as a right and not a favor to the nation. The dire need of the hour is to hold the political, social and bureaucratic elite accountable. Similarly, religious education and research should be strengthened to make the youth morally and ethically strong. Although the suggested policy measures cannot bring change overnight, the challenge must be accepted. Progress will likely be frustratingly slow, but these steps will ensure accelerated and visible improvement if executed properly. Thus, by collaborating efforts of concerned authorities, Pakistan can build prosperous and equitable future for generations to come.