Pakistan, IMF review anti-corruption reforms as GCD report remains unresolved

• Recommendations include amending Civil Servants Act, Elections Act, NAB Ordinance, and FIA Act to enhance transparency, clarify mandates, and improve inter-agency coordination

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) continue discussions over the release of the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic (GCD) Assessment report, which remains a point of contention between the two sides.

According to media reports, the government established a task force to review the existing anti-corruption framework and submitted its recommendations to the IMF. Among the proposals is the notification by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) of draft rules requiring civil servants in Basic Pay Scale 17-22 and their spouses to declare assets.

The task force also recommended amendments to the Civil Servants Act, 1973, to allow publication of assets and liabilities of civil servants; revisions to the Elections Act to mandate non-elected advisors and special assistants to the prime minister to submit statements of assets and liabilities; and updates to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Act to clarify mandates, create a joint offence list, and improve coordination between the two agencies.

Additional recommendations focus on capacity building, including jurisdictional training for officers of NAB, FIA, and provincial Anti-Corruption Establishments (ACEs), as well as reallocating FIA officers posted at airports for immigration duties. 

Investments in technology, training, and capacity development were also advised to bring investigators on par with regional standards.

The task force further proposed public awareness campaigns to educate citizens on their right to information and procedures for reporting corrupt practices, as well as appointing qualified lawyers and independent legal experts to special courts. 

Empowering provincial ACEs to handle money laundering cases and establishing a central coordination forum for investigations, forensics, and intelligence sharing were also included in the recommendations.

The reforms extend to administrative oversight, including the appointment of chief internal auditors within ministries and divisions, strict compliance with the State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Act, 2023, and ensuring that government entities operate in line with Section 36 of the Public Finance Management Act, 2019.