Transparency International’s latest National Corruption Perception Survey has once again placed Pakistan’s police at the top of the list of sectors viewed as most corrupt though the report notes a slight improvement in how the public perceives the department compared to last year.
The annual survey, which collected public opinions on transparency and governance, was made public on Tuesday.
The police were named the most corrupt sector by 24% of the 4,000 respondents this year, with 1,000 people surveyed in each province. At 34 percent, Punjab had the greatest perception, followed by Balochistan at 22 percent, Sindh at 21 percent, and KP at 20 percent. The police have consistently ranked at the top in previous TI surveys.
16 percent of respondents indicated that the tender and procurement sector was right behind the police. Balochistan has the greatest perception of corruption in this area (23 percent), followed by KP (18 percent), Sindh (14 percent), and Punjab (nine percent).
The judiciary was ranked the third-most corrupt sector by 14 percent of participants, with KP leading at 18 percent.
66 percent of respondents stated they did not feel pressurised to pay a bribe in 2025, despite widespread concerns about corruption.
Nonetheless, there is still a great deal of dissatisfaction with government efforts; 77 percent of respondents expressed “low satisfaction” with anti-corruption measures.
Bribe-related experiences were most common in Sindh (46 percent), followed by Punjab (39 percent), and KP (20 percent).
A significant 59 percent believed provincial governments were more corrupt than local governments. This view was reported by 70 percent in Punjab, 58 percent in Balochistan, 55 percent in KP and 54 percent in Sindh.
According to the report, a lack of accountability, weak transparency, difficult access to information, and delays in the resolution of corruption cases are the main reasons corruption continues.
A shocking 78 percent of respondents overall stated that organizations like the FIA and NAB had to be held accountable.
A striking 78 percent of respondents nationwide said institutions like NAB and the FIA should themselves be subject to accountability.
Respondents cited three major reasons for this demand: 35 percent pointed to the lack of transparency in investigations, 33 percent highlighted the absence of independent oversight, and 32 percent believed anti-corruption bodies are misused for political victimisation.
As for solutions, 26 percent of respondents called for enhanced accountability mechanisms, 23 percent wanted discretionary powers to be reduced, and 20 percent advocated for stronger right-to-information laws.
Additionally, there was little confidence in provincial anti-corruption establishments. About 33 percent of respondents claimed ACEs were completely ineffective, primarily in Sindh and Punjab, while 34 percent said they were “less effective,” especially in KP and Balochistan.
Overall, 77 percent of respondents expressed disappointment with the government’s efforts to combat corruption. Balochistan had the greatest level of disappointment (80 percent), followed by Punjab (78 percent), KP (75 percent), and Sindh (75 percent).
Strong whistleblower protection protection, according to nearly half of the respondents (42 percent), would make them feel safer disclosing corruption. However, 70 percent of people acknowledged that they were unaware of the existing reporting mechanisms.
Among the 30 percent who did know how to report corruption, only 43 percent had ever done so. Awareness was consistently low across provinces: 76 percent in Balochistan, 73 percent in KP, 68 percent in Sindh, and 64 percent in Punjab. The survey also indicated that people are more likely to report corruption if anonymity is guaranteed (38 percent) or if incentives are offered (37 percent).
According to the survey, 51 percent of the respondents think that organizations that receive tax exemptions from the FBR such as NGOs, hospitals, trusts, medical labs, educational institutions, and charity organizations should not be permitted to charge fees from the public. Furthermore, according to 53 percent of respondents, these tax-exempt organizations ought to be obliged to make donor names and donation amounts publicly available on their websites.