According to the commitments shared with the lender, the government will ensure NAB’s institutional independence through a transparent selection process for senior leadership, along with the publication of its operational rules and performance statistics.
Islamabad has pledged to reform the appointment process of the NAB chairman by introducing pre-defined qualification criteria, including experience and integrity standards, and establishing a merit-based, open and competitive selection mechanism. A multi-sectoral commission comprising representatives from government, opposition, judiciary, civil service, academia and civil society will oversee the recruitment process.
The government also committed to publishing NAB’s standard operating procedures and annual data on investigations, prosecutions and convictions related to corruption cases on its official platform.
These reforms form part of Pakistan’s agreement with the IMF under the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility programme, aimed at strengthening governance, promoting transparency and ensuring a level playing field for businesses and investment.
As part of broader transparency measures, asset declarations of high-level federal civil servants will be made public by December 2026. The Establishment Division has already revised conduct rules to introduce a centralised digital system for submission, risk-based verification and limited public disclosure of such declarations.
The Federal Board of Revenue will develop a digital platform by June 2026 to facilitate this process, while also expanding access for banks to review asset declarations for anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing purposes. Relevant institutions including the State Bank of Pakistan and the Financial Monitoring Unit will support implementation.
In parallel, NAB has been tasked with preparing a comprehensive anti-corruption action plan targeting the ten government departments identified as having the highest corruption risks. The plan, due by October 2026, will be guided by a methodology to be finalised by June 2026 in consultation with IMF staff.
This framework will assess corruption risks based on factors such as financial exposure, frequency of past cases, structural weaknesses and typologies of corruption across institutions.
The government has also established three committees to oversee implementation of the Economic Governance Reform plan, with progress reports to be published every six months by the Ministry of Finance.
Officials said Pakistan will continue strengthening provincial anti-corruption bodies, enabling them to investigate financial crimes and access intelligence related to money laundering within their jurisdictions.
The reforms collectively signal Islamabad’s effort to improve governance standards, enhance institutional transparency and meet IMF conditions as it navigates ongoing economic challenges.
