ISLAMABAD: The federal government complied with another IMF condition on Saturday by mandating all government officers in Grade 17 and above to publicly declare their assets, a News source reported.
The government has officially issued a gazette notification for the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after President Asif Ali Zardari approved it. The bill aims to enhance transparency and allow public access to the asset declarations of senior government officials. The Establishment Division has sent the notification to all federal ministries and divisions.
The legislation aims to implement further Rules 12, 13, and 13-A of the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and align them with the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2017.
Under the framework, officers in Basic Pay Scale (BPS) 17 to 22 will digitally file their asset declarations, including assets beneficially owned in Pakistan or abroad by themselves or their family members. The government will make these declarations publicly accessible.
The bill ensures sufficient safeguards to protect sensitive personal information, such as national identity numbers, residential addresses, and bank or bond account numbers. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will manage the digital platform, while the Establishment Division will receive the necessary framework, resources, and tools to carry out risk-based verifications of the submitted declarations.
The government aims to promote transparency, strengthen public trust, and enhance accountability across the federal bureaucracy through this move. Earlier, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had expressed concerns about political interference in civil service appointments in Pakistan.
According to sources, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva pointed out systemic flaws in Pakistan’s governance structure during a meeting with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The IMF also voiced concerns over widespread corruption risks, citing weak institutional accountability and fragmented decision-making processes, the sources added.
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