Islamabad, Feb 5 (NationPress) A recent transparency survey conducted by Ipsos alongside the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has unveiled a significant gap between perception and reality, highlighting a trust deficit between citizens and government institutions, as reported by local media on Thursday.

The Index of Transparency and Accountability in Pakistan (iTAP), which was introduced at an event in Islamabad earlier this week, indicated that government bodies often maintain a negative public image compared to the experiences shared by individuals who have interacted with them, according to Pakistan's prominent daily, Dawn.

This initiative, iTAP, was set forth by the FPCCI to establish a local, ongoing benchmark for assessing transparency and accountability in the nation. The organizers emphasized that the survey was conducted to evaluate public trust in government bodies and institutions through fieldwork carried out from December 2025 to January 2026.

The survey involved interviews with over 6,000 participants, encompassing both men and women across 82 urban and rural districts and more than 195 tehsils. A subset of 300 respondents was selected from within government institutions.

Findings revealed that 68% of participants believed bribery was prevalent in government entities, while 27% admitted to having personally faced situations where they were solicited for a bribe.

According to Abdul Sattar Babar, Managing Director of Ipsos Pakistan, as reported by Dawn, the survey suggested that perceptions of corruption were more pronounced than the actual experiences reported. He remarked, "Corruption levels remain elevated, but the perception is notably strong, widening the gap," adding that the reputation of public sector hospitals in Pakistan is on the rise.

Approximately 53% of respondents reported interactions with healthcare facilities and government hospitals within the past year. The survey included 36 questions regarding awareness and engagement with government offices, public sentiments towards malpractices such as bribery and nepotism, knowledge of anti-corruption entities, opinions on anti-corruption initiatives, and satisfaction levels with these measures, as noted by Dawn.

The survey ranked Nadra the highest in overall satisfaction, attributing this to advanced digitalization. On the topic of nepotism, 56% of respondents believed it was widespread in government offices, with 24% asserting that nepotism affected merit. The perception of malpractices was noted at over 67%, while reported experiences stood at 15.6%.

Furthermore, 59% of respondents expressed the belief that government officials amass wealth through illegal avenues, while only 5% claimed to have directly witnessed a government official engaging in illicit wealth accumulation, according to the report. The survey identified bribery, nepotism, and illicit enrichment as the primary forms of corruption linked to public institutions.

When probed about the most corrupt institutions, the respondents pointed to the FBR’s Customs department, the offices of deputy and assistant commissioners (DC and AC), the police, FBR’s Inland Revenue, and the courts as the top five.