Islamabad has unveiled a stark reality check on public confidence in state institutions. A groundbreaking transparency survey, launched by Ipsos and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), reveals a profound disconnect between perceptions and actual experiences with government bodies.
The Index of Transparency and Accountability in Pakistan (ITAP), introduced at a high-profile event in the capital, draws from extensive fieldwork spanning December 2025 to January 2026. Local media reports highlight how the average citizen views government departments through a deeply negative lens, while those who have directly interacted with them report surprisingly better outcomes.
This initiative aims to establish a homegrown benchmark for measuring transparency and accountability across Pakistan. Over 6,000 respondents from urban and rural districts—spanning 82 districts and more than 195 tehsils—shared their views, alongside insights from 300 insiders within government offices.
Key findings are alarming: 68% of participants believe bribery is rampant in public institutions, yet only 27% admit to personally being asked for a bribe. Ipsos Pakistan’s Managing Director Abdul Sattar Babar emphasized this perceptual chasm, noting that while corruption remains a serious issue, public perception amplifies it far beyond reality.
‘Corruption levels are still high, but the perception is even stronger, creating a massive gap,’ Babar told Dawn newspaper. He pointed to positive shifts, particularly in public hospitals, where image improvement is underway.
In the past year, 53% of respondents engaged with health facilities. The survey probed 36 questions on awareness of graft, nepotism, illegal assets, anti-corruption bodies, and satisfaction with reforms. These revelations call for targeted efforts to bridge the trust deficit and align perceptions with progress.