ISLAMABAD – Corruption in Pakistan has increased, released its annualreport, showing that the corruption situation in Pakistan has worsened in2020.

According to the annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2020,persistent corruption is undermining health care systems and contributingto democratic backsliding amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Countries that perform well on the index invest more in health care, arebetter able to provide universal health coverage and are less likely toviolate democratic norms and institutions or the rule of law.

Chairman Transparency International Pakistan Chapter Sohail Muzaffar toldthat Pakistan has been ranked on 124th position out of 180 countries in the2020 CPI. “Pakistan’s score has lowered to 31/100 this year from 32/100 in2019,” he stated.

“This is despite the extraordinary efforts of National AccountabilityBureau (NAB) who claims to have recovered Rs 363 billion in the last twoyears, and Public Accounts Committee claims to have recovered Rs. 300billion in the last two years,” Sohail Muzaffar said.

On the other hand, Chair of Transparency International Delia Ferreira Rubiosaid, “The past year has tested governments like no other in memory, andthose with higher levels of corruption have been less able to meet thechallenge. But even those at the top of the CPI must urgently address theirrole in perpetuating corruption at home and abroad.”