Amid IMF push, Pak to publish asset declarations of top officials by 2026

Pakistan has agreed to overhaul its asset disclosure framework after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expressed serious concerns about the country’s overall anti-corruption system, according to Dawn.

The IMF reportedly raised pointed questions about the performance of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Its Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA) is said to describe NAB the result of “political compromise” rather than an independent watchdog, and it has urged Pakistan to adopt more transparent and credible safeguards against high-level corruption.

As part of the IMF’s short-term requirements, Pakistan is expected to begin releasing asset declarations of senior federal civil servants starting in 2026. The GCDA is understood to recommend creating a risk-based verification process for these declarations so that oversight becomes more effective across government institutions, Indian Express reported.

Over a longer term, Pakistan and the IMF have tentatively agreed to explore the creation of a centralised body that would gather, digitise and publish financial disclosures of senior public officials. This body would also handle verification. However, Dawn reported doubts about whether this plan will advance once the IMF programme ends.

The IMF has also proposed changes aimed at strengthening NAB’s independence and improving its ability to handle major corruption cases. Medium-term reforms are said to include revising how the NAB chairman is appointed, boosting investigative tools and tightening internal accountability. The GCDA reportedly criticises the current selection method based on consensus between the government and the opposition as one that encourages political bargaining instead of an open, merit-based process.

The assessment also points to weaknesses in the disciplinary system for corrupt officials, particularly in revenue departments. Investigations are said to be limited in scope, often confined to interviews or checking asset disclosures. Penalties can include stalled promotions or dismissal, but the IMF noted that these measures generally lack provisions pushing for criminal prosecution. Although prosecutions are legally possible, the report suggests they occur infrequently.

The IMF review further describes Pakistan’s disclosure regime as disconnected and inconsistent, with separate rules for government officials, public office-holders, the armed forces and the judiciary. Most of these declarations remain unavailable to the public.