First transparency report launched to benchmark governance, public trust

ISLAMABAD, Aug 12 (APP): Marking a significant milestone in strengthening evidence-based governance, Pakistan on Wednesday launched the ‘State of Transparency in Pakistan Report 2026’, the country’s first nationally representative assessment of governance quality, built on the experiences, perceptions and expectations of Pakistani citizens.

Produced by Mishal Pakistan, the Country Partner Institute of the World Economic Forum, the report introduces the TARL Framework: Transparency, Accountability, Rule of Law and Legitimacy to provide a comprehensive picture of institutional performance and public trust.

Drawing on a nationwide survey of 2,000 respondents across all four provinces, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, complemented by expert consultations and institutional analysis, the report establishes Pakistan’s first evidence-based governance baseline.

“This report is more than a research publication; it is a national benchmark. It demonstrates that transparency is not about exposing institutions, it is about strengthening them,” said Puruesh Chaudhary, Lead Author of the Report and Director, Mishal Pakistan. Chaudhary said by providing credible evidence on what was working and where improvements were needed, the report creates a common foundation for informed policymaking, constructive public dialogue and sustained governance reform.

Commenting on the report, Chief Executive Officer, Mishal Pakistan, Amir Jahangir said that transparency was no longer simply a governance principle, it was a national strategic capability.

“Countries that strengthen openness, accountability and institutional trust are better equipped to attract investment, improve public services and build resilient economies,” he said.

Unlike international governance rankings, the Pakistan Transparency Report captured how citizens experience government institutions in their daily lives. It provided policymakers, parliament, regulators, development partners, academia, businesses and civil society with practical evidence to strengthen reforms, improve institutional performance and build public confidence.

The findings reveal that Pakistan’s governance future was increasingly being shaped by its youth, with 80 percent of survey respondents between the ages of 18 and 35, reflecting the priorities and expectations of the generation that would define the country’s future.

At the same time, the report highlighted that social trust remained one of Pakistan’s greatest national assets. Sixty-three percent of respondents express trust in people they know personally, 53 percent trust people generally, and 52 percent extend trust even to strangers, demonstrating a strong reservoir of social capital that institutions can build upon.

The findings further suggest that Pakistanis remained open to international economic engagement, with 46 percent expressing neutral to positive confidence in multinational companies.

The report also pointed to encouraging signs of confidence in public institutions and ongoing reforms. Approximately one-third of respondents recognise Parliament’s efforts in advancing fiscal responsibility, institutional strengthening, welfare legislation and anti-corruption measures, while 39 percent acknowledge improvements in the country’s economic direction.

Public confidence in the Higher Judiciary provides a meaningful platform for continued judicial reform, with 40 percent expressing neutral to positive trust. The Armed Forces continue to command the highest level of institutional trust, with 82 percent recognising their role in safeguarding Pakistan’s frontiers and 74 percent acknowledging their contribution to countering terrorism.

The survey further demonstrated that Pakistan’s regulatory and public institutions have achieved significant public visibility and engagement. Awareness of key regulators is high, with recognition levels reaching 95 percent for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), 90 percent for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), 85 percent for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), 78 percent for the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), 75 percent for the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), and 65 percent for the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).

Reflecting the growing reach of digital public services, 95 percent of respondents report having interacted with FBR and 80 percent with PTA. HEC also demonstrates sustained public engagement, with 85 percent of respondents having interacted with the Commission and 76 percent doing so regularly.

Meanwhile, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has rapidly established national visibility, with 55 percent of respondents already aware of the institution despite its recent establishment.

The report also identified critical opportunities for strengthening governance and transparency. Only seven percent of respondents were aware of formal appeals mechanisms against regulatory decisions, highlighting a significant opportunity to improve transparency through greater public awareness rather than legislative change.

Among the report’s strongest findings was the growing confidence in Pakistan’s digital transformation while the report also announces the development of the Pakistan Transparency Index (PTI), an annual measurement framework that would enable year-on-year tracking of institutional performance, citizen trust and governance reforms through nationally generated evidence.

The Pakistan Transparency Report 2026 is intended to serve as an annual national benchmark for measuring transparency, accountability, rule of law and institutional legitimacy, supporting evidence-based policymaking and encouraging continuous improvement across Pakistan’s governance ecosystem.