The prevalence of corruption in the world
Discuss about the evil of corruption through the lens of the nation of Pakistan.
“It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”
The above quoted lines of “Aung San Suu Kyi” from the famous book “Freedom from Fear” is a pertinent account of the concept of corruption and the way it affects the various individuals of the society. Corruption is one of the oldest forms of evils which have been ailing the various nations of the world for a very long time (Rose-Ackerman and Palifka 2016). However, in the recent times it is seen that this particular evil has become a part of the various nations of the world (Rose-Ackerman and Palifka 2016). The problem of corruption is affecting the government organizations of the various nations of the world in an adverse manner and the role played by the bureaucracy of the various nations of the world is also significant to note in this particular context. It is significant to note that the various nations of the world have devised various measures to curb this particular menace but they have not been able to curb it in a significant manner (Gould, Sherman and Ansari 2013). This report will discuss about the concept and its related aspects in the particular context of the nation of Pakistan.
As per a study “nearly 7 in 10 had to pay a bribe” and the annual bribery rate of the nation of Pakistan is more than 40% for the year 2017 (Forbes.com. 2018). It is a pertinent reflection of the level to which the evil of corruption has penetrated into the nation of Pakistan. In the opinion of many people “Corruption is violation of norms. In other words, it is immoral behavior which includes deviation from legal norms or moral values”(Gould, Sherman and Ansari 2013). As per the “Canadian Oxford Dictionary 1998” the concept of corruption refers to the “use of corrupt practices, especially bribery or fraud” (Rose-Ackerman and Palifka 2016). The rate of corruption in the nation of Pakistan is very and it is significant to note that the nation has been ailing with this particular problem for a very long time. According to a report of the “Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2016 of Transparency International”, “Pakistan stands at 116th position out of 169 countries in terms of Control on Corruption” (PakObserver 2018). Furthermore, according to the report of the “Executive Opinion Survey 2016 conducted by World Economic Forum” corruption is one of the major problems with the nation of Pakistan has been ailing for a very long time and it is a reflection of this that the nation holds a very low position of “122nd out of 138 countries in terms of economic competitiveness” in the study (PakObserver 2018). Moreover, as per the results of another study conducted by the “Doing Business Survey of the World Bank (2016)”, “the country ranks at the 144th position among 190 economies owing to poor business conditions” (PakObserver 2018). Therefore, it would be apt to say that the social evil of corruption has penetrated into the roots of the nation of Pakistan and the various people of the nation resort to this particular evil to get their jobs done (Gould, Sherman and Ansari 2013). In the recent times it is seen that it has become increasingly difficult for the various people of the nation to get their jobs done without taking the aid of this particular evil. The ailing state of the government of the nation has generally been attributed as one of the major reasons for the increased level of corruption which is seen in the nation (Gould, Sherman and Ansari 2013). Furthermore, the social structure of the nation as well as the culture is also seen as a significant contributor towards the rise of this particular menace (Khan et al. 2012).
Corruption in Pakistan: Statistics and Impact
As already mentioned the corruption has formed a part of the societies of the various nations of the world and it is seen that in the recent times the concept of corruption as well as the different forms of it has undergone much transformation in the present times (Khan et al. 2012). The nation of Pakistan score extremely high on the corruption index and this mean that the various forms of corruption are prevalent within the social framework of the nation. The most common kinds of corruption which is seen in the nation of Pakistan are bribery, fraud, embezzlement, straddling, extortion, favoritism and others (Khan et al. 2012). Some of the most commonly encountered forms of corruption are described below-
The evil of bribe is one of the most common elements of the nation of Pakistan and it is generally seen that the various individuals of the nation openly resort to this particular form of corruption to get their jobs done (Jackson et al. 2014). The concept of bribery can be defined as “the recompense, may it be monetary or in kind, that is offered or received in exchange for altering the actions of the recipient to benefit and protect the interest of the giver of the payment” (Jackson et al. 2014). In the opinion of many people bribery is one of the most common forms of corruption and is generally seen as a reflection of the inherent weakness of the government of a particular nation (Hussain and Riaz 2012). In this particular aspect it is significant to note that the nation of Pakistan has one of the most unstable forms of government and various kinds of revolts, rebellions and terrorist activities are the order of the day in the nation (Hussain and Riaz 2012). Therefore, it can be said that the inherent weakness of the government of the nation is one of the main reasons for the high bribery rate of the nation of Pakistan (Hussain and Riaz 2012).
Fraud is another significant form of corruption which has been ailing the society of the nation of Pakistan for a very long time (Olken and Pande 2012). The concept of fraud refers to a criminal activity which often entails with itself certain forms of deceptions as well as trickery (Olken and Pande 2012). In the opinion of many people, “Fraud includes rigging or distortion of facts and expert opinion, by public servants, politicians and general public, in an attempt to extract a large undue profit” (Olken and Pande 2012). The evil of fraud happens when a particular governmental officer or any other official holding a high designation within the framework of a governmental organization or any other organization creates a misleading situation for the enhancement of their own personal needs (Farooq et al. 2013). It is significant to note that the evil of fraud is very much a part of the framework of the nation of Pakistan and it is reflection of this that the bureaucracy of the nation is one of the most ineffective ones among the various nations of the world (Farooq et al. 2013).
Different forms of corruption in Pakistan
Favoritism is another common form of corruption which forms an important part of the nation of Pakistan (Della Porta 2017). In the opinion of many people, “Favoritism is a dimension of corruption insofar as it includes a corrupted, unfair and privatized distribution of resources”(Della Porta 2017). It is significant to note that the concept of favoritism can be defined as the practice by means of which undue advantage or leverage is given to undeserving people solely on the basis of the personal equations (Della Porta 2017). Therefore, it is generally seen that the most of the important governmental positions belonging to the nation are provided to undeserving candidates instead of the deserving ones who could have contributed in a positive manner towards the “overall growth as well as the development of the nation in a positive manner” (Farooq et al. 2013). Thus, it can be said that the evil of favoritism is one of the major forms of corruptions which the nation is facing at the current and it is adversely affecting its prospects (Rose-Ackerman 2013).
The nation of Pakistan can take the help of various kinds of methods for the reduction of the level of corruption which the nation is facing at the current moment. The development of a strong centralized government would help the nation to reduce the high level of corruption which it is facing at the current moment. The passing of various anti-corruption laws would also help the nation in a significant manner. Furthermore, the nation can also try to create awareness among the people about the ill-effects of corruption.
Conclusion
To conclude, the social evil of corruption forms a part of the most of the nations of the world. It is significant to note that the concept of corruption not only affects the normal functioning of the governmental organizations but also “affects the overall growth as well as the development of the nation in an adverse manner”. Furthermore, it is generally seen that if the level of corruption within a particular nation is more than that increases the dissatisfaction level of the various entities of the nation in a significant manner. A pertinent example of this is the nation of Pakistan where the normal working of the government is getting hampered due to the high rate of corruption which the nation is facing at the current moment. Therefore, it can be said that the problem of corruption is one of the major problems which the nation of Pakistan is facing at the current and its mitigation is of utmost importance for the growth of the nation.
References
Della Porta, D., 2017. Corrupt exchanges: Actors, resources, and mechanisms of political corruption. Routledge.
Farooq, A., Shahbaz, M., Arouri, M. and Teulon, F., 2013. Does corruption impede economic growth in Pakistan?. Economic Modelling, 35, pp.622-633.
Forbes.com. 2018. Forbes Welcome. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanvigupta/2017/03/13/asias-five-most-corrupt-countries/#5c76b1f56a98 [Accessed 4 May 2018].
Gould, W., Sherman, T.C. and Ansari, S., 2013. The Flux of the Matter: Loyalty, Corruption and the ‘Everyday State’in the Post-Partition Government Services of India and Pakistan. Past & Present, 219(1), pp.237-279.
Hussain, F. and Riaz, A.R.F.H.A., 2012. Corruption in the public organizations of Pakistan: perceptual views of university students. The Journal of Commerce, 4(1), p.62.
Jackson, J., Asif, M., Bradford, B. and Zakria Zakar, M., 2014. Corruption and police legitimacy in Lahore, Pakistan. British Journal of Criminology, 54(6), pp.1067-1088.
Johnston, M., 2017. Political corruption: readings in comparative analysis. Routledge.
Khan, M.T., Khan, D.N., Ahmed, S. and Mehmood, K., 2012. Corruption: Causes and Effects in Pakistan‘s Case (A Review Research). International Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, 2(6), pp.79-91.
Olken, B.A. and Pande, R., 2012. Corruption in developing countries. Annu. Rev. Econ., 4(1), pp.479-509.
PakObserver. 2018. Corruption in Pakistan – PakObserver. [online] Available at: https://pakobserver.net/corruption-in-pakistan-3/ [Accessed 4 May 2018].
Rose-Ackerman, S. and Palifka, B.J., 2016. Corruption and government: Causes, consequences, and reform. Cambridge university press.
Rose-Ackerman, S., 2013. Corruption: A study in political economy. Academic Press
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