The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called on Pakistan to take quick action to combat corruption and political harassment in corruption cases.
On September 25, the IMF Executive Board approved Pakistan’s 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreement worth approximately $7 billion to assist the country’s economic stability and growth.
The EFF agreement incorporates essential policy objectives such as stable public finances, lower inflation, and stronger external buffers.
The IMF stressed the importance of an effective investigation system to prevent corruption, recommending that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) be made more independent and effective in accordance with the top court’s decision.
The IMF also requested an action plan to remove corruption by June 2025.
Additionally, the IMF stressed the importance of digitizing the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to enhance transparency in asset declarations for all government officials, including parliamentarians.
The fund pointed out that corruption is undermining Pakistan’s reform efforts and noted that NAB is not being provided with accurate data for investigations.
