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Pakistan Unveils First Homegrown Transparency Index, Exposing Perception–Experience Gap

Organizers frame iTAP as a recurring citizen-level benchmark for tracking reforms to rebuild trust.

Overview

  • FPCCI and Ipsos launched the Index of Transparency and Accountability in Pakistan (iTAP) on Feb. 3 in Islamabad, with Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal attending.
  • Headline scores show a wide divergence, with a Perception Index near 67 versus a Live Experiences Index around 15.6, including gaps such as 68% believing bribery is common versus 27% reporting direct demands.
  • A majority reported routine interactions as corruption-free, with 67% never experiencing malpractice, 73% never paying a bribe, and 95% never witnessing illicit enrichment.
  • Institution-level results highlight police as most top-of-mind (35%) despite low recent contact (12%), government hospitals as the most used (53%), and NADRA leading in satisfaction, aligning with stronger digitalisation.
  • Engagement with accountability mechanisms is weak, with only 8% contacting anti-corruption bodies and low awareness of RTI (11%) and whistleblower protections (15%), prompting calls to sustain iTAP for ongoing reform tracking.