Barometer blows!

You can expect the most bizarre of reactions from lawmakers in Pakistan for the most logical of things. Be it defensive statements vouching for the so-called utility of fake degrees in being a degree after all, or hopping off to international destinations when the entire country is, quite literally, drowning in floods.
In spite of scores of such ridiculous rejoinders in the past, the Interior Ministers allegations against Transparency International Pakistan as being a spying agency after the release of the Corruption Perceptions Index 2010 (CPI) made many gape at how absurd self-protective statements from the political fraternity can be.
But the valour of the institution deserves due appreciation, as, despite indirect pressure from the government in the form of baseless accusations against the institution and the validity of the widely acknowledged corruption perceptions index, the institution continues to work in the country and blows the whistle against the maligned problem.
In keeping with the reputation of resilience, the Global Corruption Barometer 2010 of Transparency International (TI) has duly conveyed the opinion of the Pakistani public on corruption parameters in the country.
The 2010 survey conducted on behalf of TI revealed that around 50 percent of Pakistani respondents had confessed to paying bribes to various service providers in the country. It was registered at only 18 percent in the year before. Similarly, 73 percent rate the governments efforts in curbing corruption largely ineffective, while 51 percent had claimed that in 2009.
Quite unsurprisingly, around 77 percent of Pakistanis believe that corruption in the country has worsened, with the police being charged as the most corrupt institution in the country. This trophy was bagged by public officials (surprise, surprise!) and civil servants last year.
And guess whos perceived to be the least corrupt? Its the religious bodies, which beat the education system and the military by a close margin on being the least corrupt in the country.
An analogical note on Bangladesh would be fascinating here, since the country has worked hard at reining in corruption, and has actually shown positive results. Over the years, the countrys score has been on an upward trajectory, rising from 0.4 out of 10.0 (10 being the least corrupt) in 2001 to 2.4 today. This is opposed to Pakistan, the score of which has been quite erratic, hovering around the 2.0 mark since 1995, without much improvement.
The Global Corruption Barometer substantiates the remarkable improvement in Bangladeshs scores by indicating that the Bangladeshi publics opinions on corruption match the results of the CPI quite closely.
Bangladesh was amongst the few countries where a majority of the respondents (61 percent) claimed that the governments actions in fighting corruption were effective. It was also among the few where a fairly large (36 percent) of the public believed that corruption in the country had decreased.
The results of the Global Corruption Barometer are based on the voice of the general public in the participating countries - and the results for Pakistan blatantly shout "in your face" to those who have been badmouthing TI for very obviously groundless reasons.
And the polling for this index has been carried out by Gallup Pakistan, hence downsizing contentions against TI Pakistan considerably.
The risks of corruption becoming a social norm in the country prevail, as evident by politicians indifference as well as increasing incidences of bribe payments by the public. Playing ostrich against the menace that exists in the Pakistani institutions and society will not do much but add to the long list of ludicrous statements by Pakistani officials. Paying heed to the indications of rising corruption in the country will make more sense.