ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on Pakistan to strengthen the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and introduce tougher anti-money laundering (AML) laws. The demand is part of the IMF’s draft Governance and Corruption Diagnostic (GCD) Assessment, but Islamabad says parts of the report do not reflect ground realities.
Senior officials confirmed that Pakistan will file detailed objections and feedback—particularly regarding money laundering and terror financing laws—before the IMF publishes its final report at the end of August. A full action plan of governance reforms will be unveiled with the GCD’s final release in October 2025.
The IMF stresses that Pakistan must build robust institutions to tackle corruption and create an investment-friendly environment.
The government has already begun moving in this direction. Following the UN’s anti-corruption review, Islamabad has decided to publish the complete UNCAC report and make it accessible through NAB and provincial agencies. It has also committed to boosting NAB’s independence in handling large corruption cases and enhancing collaboration with the FIA and Provincial Anti-Corruption Establishments (PACEs).
Meanwhile, by December this year, PACEs will be authorised to investigate money laundering offences, with the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) granting them access to financial intelligence.
Transparency reforms are also being pushed forward. Senior civil servants (BPS 17–22) must now submit digital declarations of assets owned domestically and abroad, including those held by family members. These declarations will be made public with strict safeguards to protect sensitive data.
The Establishment Division and FBR are tasked with digitising, centralising, and verifying these declarations while banks will continue to access them to fulfil AML/CFT compliance obligations. Provinces will roll out similar rules for senior officials at the provincial level.
The IMF’s recommendations have sparked debate within policy circles, with Pakistan keen to balance reform commitments while addressing concerns over how its governance challenges are perceived internationally.