By Sardar Khan Niazi

Corruption in Pakistan has long been treated as an unavoidable fact of life, an unpleasant but permanent feature of our political, bureaucratic and social landscape. It is discussed frequently, condemned routinely, and yet allowed to grow steadily beneath the surface of public life. The persistence of this crisis is not merely a matter of weak laws or unscrupulous individuals; it is rooted in deeper structural and cultural failures that have yet to be addressed with seriousness. At its heart, corruption thrives where institutions are hollowed out. Pakistan’s administrative machinery, though expansive, remains vulnerable to political interference, inconsistent leadership and limited accountability. From procurement tenders to routine public services, the opacity of bureaucratic processes creates fertile ground for rent seeking. Citizens encounter it in everyday interactions — a file that will not move unless facilitated, a service that will not be provided without an informal fee. These low-friction exchanges, normalized over generations, have become the grease that allows an inefficient system to function. The problem, however, is that this grease has transformed into glue: it holds everything together, but at the same time prevents the system from moving forward. Political corruption, of course, casts the longest shadow. Successive governments have promised reform, accountability and transparency, yet each political transition has only deepened public cynicism. Anti-corruption drives are too often weaponized to settle political scores rather than to reform governance. Institutions responsible for ensuring accountability remain overstretched, under-resourced or vulnerable to external pressure. As a result, even genuine anti-corruption efforts lose credibility, dismissed as partisan maneuvering rather than meaningful reform. At the economic level, corruption distorts markets, inflates costs and erodes investor confidence. Projects balloon over budget, contracts are awarded not on merit but on connections, and public money is siphoned away from schools, hospitals and essential infrastructure. The cost is borne by ordinary Pakistanis, who face higher prices, poorer services and fewer opportunities for upward mobility. At a time when the country faces significant economic vulnerabilities — from fiscal deficits to debt burdens — the luxury of tolerating corruption is one we can no longer afford. But corruption is not merely a governance failure; it is a societal ailment. Over time, it has reshaped public attitudes, blurring the line between acceptable shortcuts and outright misconduct. Many people rationalize bribery or nepotism as survival tools in a system perceived as inherently unjust. When citizens lose faith in fair procedures, the allure of informal means grows stronger. This erosion of civic trust is perhaps the most damaging consequence of corruption, for it undermines the very foundations of a functioning democracy. Addressing corruption, therefore, requires more than political will — it demands structural reform, civic education and cultural transformation. First, there is an urgent need for institutional insulation: public offices must be protected from political meddling, and officials must be held accountable through transparent, timely mechanisms. Digitization of services can help reduce human discretion, curb petty bribery and streamline interactions between citizens and the state. Second, whistleblower protections and independent oversight bodies should be strengthened to ensure that those who speak out are not punished but protected. Without secure channels for reporting misconduct, corruption will continue to flourish in silence. Third, civic education must play a larger role. Citizens must be taught that corruption is not a harmless shortcut but a collective act of self-sabotage. Changing attitudes is slow work, but essential. Ultimately, corruption in Pakistan will not end through slogans or seasonal crackdowns. It will end only when accountability becomes a norm rather than an exception — when integrity is rewarded, wrongdoing is punished, and institutions serve the public rather than the powerful. The challenge remains immense, but the cost of inaction is far greater.