Pakistan to publish redacted civil servant asset declarations to meet IMF benchmarks

By Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD: The government said on Thursday it will make asset declarations filed by civil servants publicly accessible in redacted form, fulfilling a key governance commitment under its International Monetary Fund program while balancing transparency with personal privacy.

The move is required under IMF benchmarks aimed at strengthening accountability and combating corruption. Establishment Division Secretary Nabeel Awan told the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue that the government has revised the Civil Servants Conduct Rules and is digitizing the entire asset-declaration process through the Federal Board of Revenue’s platform.“ Declarations would be publicly accessible in a redacted form to ensure transparency while safeguarding personal privacy,” Awan told the panel. He added that the objectives of asset declarations and income-tax returns are distinct and governed by separate legal frameworks.

The committee, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, had convened to review the status of the declarations. Mandviwalla welcomed the initiative and instructed the Establishment Division to share the revised conduct rules with the panel for detailed scrutiny and possible refinements. He also suggested the government explore amendments to the Election Act to require parliamentarians to submit their asset declarations to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

In the same session, the committee ordered full investigations into two major customs scandals: the disappearance of more than 400 kilograms of silver and a substantial portion of 2,000 bags of skimmed milk from Pakistan Customs custody. Lawmakers focused particular attention on the silver case. Customs officials reported that authorities in Balochistan had confiscated approximately 698 kilograms of silver in various seizures. Yet when the consignment was transported, inspectors found only 298 kilograms of actual silver; the balance—roughly 400 kilograms—had been replaced by lead. Officials described the incident as appearing prima facie to be an insider operation and said the Federal Investigation Agency had already opened an inquiry.

Mandviwalla directed the Federal Board of Revenue to recover the missing silver, identify those responsible and submit a comprehensive report to the committee. He also referred the matter to the interior subcommittee for further investigation.

The panel separately examined the Pakistan Sovereign Wealth Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Mandviwalla questioned the timing of the proposed changes, noting they coincide with the government’s ongoing budget preparations for the next financial year. Ministry officials replied that the amendments seek to enhance governance, operational efficiency and the management of state-owned enterprises, and are not linked to the federal budget process.

Several committee members voiced concern that the changes could delay development funding and urged that they not harm the performance of state-owned companies. The bill also calls for mandatory briefings to parliamentary standing committees on the performance of those enterprises. Lawmakers deferred further debate on the legislation and asked the ministry to provide a clause-by-clause explanation of each proposed amendment ahead of the next meeting.