Islamabad, February 5: A significant trust gap has emerged between the public and government institutions in Pakistan. A transparency survey conducted by Ipsos and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry has highlighted the “discrepancy between perception and reality.” Local media reported this on Thursday.
The Index of Transparency and Accountability in Pakistan (ITAP) was launched during an event in Islamabad on Tuesday. According to Pakistan’s leading newspaper, Dawn, the survey revealed that the general public holds a predominantly negative view of government departments. However, those who have interacted with these institutions reported relatively better experiences.
Initiated by the EPCCI, ITAP aims to create a local and regular benchmark for measuring transparency and accountability in Pakistan. Organizers noted that the survey was conducted based on fieldwork from December 2025 to January 2026, assessing public trust in the government and institutions.
The survey included interviews with over 6,000 respondents (both men and women) from 82 urban and rural districts, as well as more than 195 tehsils. Additionally, a small sample of 300 individuals from within government institutions was also surveyed.
According to the survey findings, 68% of respondents believe that corruption is prevalent in government institutions, while 27% reported being personally asked for bribes.
Abdul Sattar Babar, Managing Director of Ipsos Pakistan, told Dawn that the survey clearly indicates that the perception of corruption is significantly stronger than actual experiences.
He stated, “The level of corruption remains high, but the perception is extremely strong, and the gap between the two is substantial.” He also added that the image of government hospitals in Pakistan is improving.
The survey further revealed that approximately 53% of respondents had interacted with health institutions and government hospitals in the past 12 months. Participants were asked 36 questions related to awareness of government offices, bribery, nepotism, illegal assets, knowledge of anti-corruption institutions, and satisfaction with measures taken.