Pakistan Expresses Reservations Over IMF’s Draft Corruption Assessment
The federal government has raised serious reservations regarding the IMF’s draft Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA), and is preparing a formal response before approving its publication.
ProPakistaniKey points of contention include:
The IMF’s recommendation to establish a new authority for disclosing bureaucrats’ assets—an idea Pakistan deems redundant, citing that existing bodies like FBR and FMU already fulfill this role.
Concerns that proposals related to tax reforms, fiscal governance, procurement oversight, and expansion of the Auditor General’s independence, while valuable, duplicate ongoing reforms.
ProPakistaniProfit by Pakistan Today
The IMF’s draft highlighted governance deficiencies—such as politicisation of civil services, weak anti-money laundering (AML) frameworks, and poor detection of misuse of public office—across six core functions. Pakistan, however, asserts that many measures are already underway and is seeking to reconcile these findings with existing reform trajectories.
Summary Table
| IMF Recommendation | Pakistan’s Response |
|---|---|
| Establish a new asset disclosure authority | Deems redundant; existing institutions already cover this function |
| Tighten fiscal governance and procurement processes | Government argues reforms already in progress under current policies |
| Enhance AML/CFT oversight – fix weaknesses in detecting misuse | Agrees on needs, but prefers alignment with existing structures |
| Expand Auditor General’s autonomy and reform tax regime |
