The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised concerns about recent amendments to laws in Pakistan that have restricted public disclosure of parliamentarians' assets, which goes against the Fund's principles of good governance and anti-corruption. The IMF has also questioned changes in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) that granted a three-year extension to the current National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman.
While the government defended the NAO amendment, it did not support amendments to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Act that exempted parliamentarians from disclosing their assets. The ECP expressed its opposition to any measures that compromise transparency and limit public access to information about their elected representatives.
The Law Division clarified to the IMF that the government has not endorsed the amendments introduced by members of the National Assembly from the PPP. The IMF urged the government to take a clear stance on these issues.
The amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, aimed at limiting the public disclosure of legislators' assets, have not yet been enacted as the Senate has not voted on the bill. The amendments were initially proposed by MNAs Syed Naveed Qamar and Shazia Marri in May last year.
Section 138 of the Act, which requires the publication of parliamentarians' assets and liabilities, was amended to balance public interest in good governance with individual privacy and security. The IMF's interest in these amendments coincides with its emphasis on asset disclosure by public officials as part of the conditions under a $7 billion deal with Pakistan.
In a separate development, President Asif Ali Zardari recently approved the NAO (Amendment) Bill, 2026, allowing for a three-year extension of the NAB chairman's term. The amendment permits the chairman to serve a term of three years, extendable once for another three years by the federal government.
The IMF has called for more transparency in key appointments, such as the NAB chairman, as highlighted in its Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment report. However, a report by the Global Think Tank Network criticized the IMF for not advocating for a broader pool of candidates beyond the civil service, judiciary, and military for such appointments.
