The federal government has met another requirement stipulated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), requiring all government officials in Grade 17 and above to publicly declare their assets, sources were quoted by Saturday’s reports.
An official gazette notification for the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2025 has been issued after clearance by President Asif Ali Zardari. The bill intends to make the government transparent and open to the public the asset declarations of top government officials.
The Establishment Division has sent the gazette notification to all federal ministries and divisions.
The Act aims to further operationalize Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964—Rules 12, 13, and 13-A—in particular—and bring them in line with the Right to Information Act, 2017.
According to the scheme, declarations of assets of officials in Basic Pay Scale (BPS) 17 to 22, including assets owned beneficially within Pakistan or overseas by the officers or their dependents, will be submitted electronically and published for public viewing.
The bill provides that adequate safeguards will be in place to safeguard sensitive personal data like national identity numbers, address of residence, and bank or bond account numbers.
The FBR shall operate the digital platform, while the Establishment Division shall have a strong framework, support, and equipment to carry out risk-based verification of submitted declarations.
The decision is meant to ensure greater transparency, increase public trust, and raise accountability within the federal bureaucracy.
Before this, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expressed concerns regarding political interference in Pakistan’s civil service appointments.
Sources say IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva pointed out system failures in Pakistan’s governance architecture in a meeting with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
The IMF cited concerns over pervasive corruption risks due to weak institutional accountability and fragmented decision-making, sources indicated.
