The government has recognized the need for a mini-budget if revenues do not meet expectations by the end of December 2025, according to the IMF. Photo: file
ISLAMABAD:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has opposed recently approved legal amendments that limit the public disclosure of parliamentarians’ assets, raising the prospect of a reversal of the decision that also constitutes a violation of the Fund’s good governance and anti-corruption framework.
The global lender also inquired about recent amendments to another law – the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) – which granted a three-year extension to the tenure of the outgoing chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The government succeeded in defending the NAO amendment, sources close to these discussions said. But authorities have failed to defend amendments approved by the National Assembly to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Act aimed at selectively exempting parliamentarians from disclosure of their assets.
The sources said the ECP secretary informed the IMF that the commission was against any measures that would compromise transparency and restrict the right of the people to have access to the assets of their representatives.
The Legal Division also informed the IMF that the government has so far not supported the amendments, which had been presented as private legislation by members of the National Assembly belonging to the PPP. The IMF has asked the Legal Division to take a clear and unequivocal position, the sources said.
The NA passed these amendments to the 2017 election law aimed at limiting public disclosure of assets and liabilities of lawmakers in January this year only after PML-N lawmakers voted in favor of it.
The sources said the IMF has inquired about the status of these amendments. It was stated that the amendments were not part of the law because the Senate had not voted on the bill.
The bill was introduced in the National Assembly in May last year by MPs Syed Naveed Qamar and Shazia Marri.
The National Assembly amended Article 138. It approved an initial provision stating that the extent of disclosures made in the official gazette and in copies provided to the public would be determined with due regard to maintaining a balance between the public interest in good governance and the privacy and security of an individual.
The second condition stipulated that the extent of this disclosure would be determined by the speaker of the relevant assembly and, in the case of the Senate, by the president.
Article 138 provides for the publication of declarations of assets and liabilities of parliamentarians in the Official Journal and allows the public to access these declarations. In 2023, the ECP amended the corresponding Rule 138 of the 2017 Election Rules, requiring candidates to provide identification, indicate the purpose of seeking information via Form 67, and submit an affidavit affirming that data obtained under Rule 138 will not be misused.
The amendments to the ECP law came at a time when the IMF was placing greater emphasis on disclosure of civil servants’ assets. As part of the $7 billion deal, Pakistan made changes to the Civil Service Act to publicly disclose the assets of the federal bureaucracy.
However, a report from the Global Think Tank Network — an independent association — criticized the IMF for not imposing criminal sanctions on officials whose assets are beyond their means.
NAO amendment
The sources said the IMF was also informed of the recent amendments to the NAO.
President Asif Ali Zardari last week gave his assent to the NAO (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which extended the tenure of the NAB chairman by three years. The term of NAB Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed was due to expire last week but he extended it.
Previously, an NAB chairman had a non-renewable term of three years and was not eligible for reappointment under the NAB order. An amendment to its article 6 now allows the president to exercise a three-year term which can be extended once for a period of three years by the federal government.
The sources said Pakistani authorities informed the IMF that when the 2022 government removed the initial clause for extending a term, the IMF objected to it. At that time, the IMF was of the view that the extension could ensure policy continuity, the sources said.
The IMF Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment report highlighted the need for a more transparent process for key appointments, including that of the NAB chairman. But the GTTN report said the IMF did not call for broadening the pool of candidates for the president’s nomination beyond the civilian, judicial and military offices, widely seen as responsible for Pakistan’s current state.
