Opposition slams govt as Pakistan slips 16 places in TI corruption index

KARACHI: The opposition leaders on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) government as Pakistan left 16 more countries behind in corruption index of the Transparency International (TI).

According to the TI, corruption has further boosted in Pakistan forcing the country to drop to 140 ranking in the corruption index.

Reacting on the news, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President and Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said for the second time in a row, the Transparency International had testified that “the Imran Niazi government” was corrupt and a thief.

Read more: ‘Focus of Imran Khan’s politics is opposition, not performance or people’

Shehbaz Sharif said it was unfortunate that Pakistan had slipped 16 places further in the TI’s Global Corruption Perceptions Index.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s honest and capable leadership had reduced corruption in Pakistan, he said. He said PML-N’s good governance, transparency and legal reforms had improved Pakistan’s ranking by 23 spots. It was unfortunate that the ruling government had wasted all the efforts, he maintained.

The PML-N leader said during his party’s government, Pakistan’s ranking had improved to 117, which had simultaneously enhanced Pakistan’s prestige in the world. He said since 2019, corruption had mounted every year in the PTI’s government. Never had it happened that Pakistan’s ranking dropped by 14 places, he said.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Vice-President Sherry Rehman said Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index was a charge sheet against the government. “In 2020, Pakistan was ranked 124th in the Corruption Perceptions Index worldwide. Within a year, Pakistan has been ranked 140^th,” she tweeted.

The government, claiming to end corruption, had left 16 countries behind in corruption, Sherry Rehman said. On the other hand, the resignation of the accountability advisor was a proof that corruption had not decreased, it had increased, she said.

“Accountability is only for targeting the opponents. International institutions are now uncovering the corruption of this government,” she said.

کرپشن ختم کرنے کی دعویدار حکومت نے 16 ممالک کو کرپشن میں پیچھے چھوڑ دیا ہے۔ دوسری طرف مشیر احتساب کا استعفی اس بات کا ثبوت ہے کہ کرپشن کم نہیں، بڑھی ہے۔ احتساب صرف مخالفین کو نشانا بنانے کے لئے ہے۔ اس حکومت کی کرپشن سے اب عالمی ادارے پردہ اٹھا رہے ہیں۔ 2/2

— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) January 25, 2022

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said according to the TI report Imran Khan’s government was the most corrupt government of Pakistan.

Read more: ‘Is Pakistan still cheapest country? People asking govt after reading new report’

She also demanded from Imran Khan to address the nation on the report of Transparency International and tell the nation that corruption had increased because of stealing of flour, sugar, electricity and medicines. “The people could not afford to buy anything, including medicines,” she said.

PPP leader Shazia Marri said after increase in loadshedding, gas shortage, inflation, unemployment, prices of petrol and diesel and poverty, corruption had also increased in Pakistan.