ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – The federal government has delivered a sharp warning to senior officers, fulfilling another major IMF condition as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued a new notification mandating Grade-17 and above officers to declare their assets publicly.
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Under Section 237(1) of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, the FBR has amended the Sharing of Declaration of Assets of Civil Servants Rules 2023. Initially released on October 7, 2025 via notification 1912(I)/2025, the rules have now been finalised after taking public feedback into account.
The biggest shake-up in the rules is replacing the word “civil” with “public” throughout, including Rule 1(1), broadening the net to include more officials.
A new clause (ii-a) in Rule 2 defines a public servant as officers of Grade-17 or above serving in federal or provincial governments, autonomous bodies, state-owned corporations, or government-owned companies. The definition also includes employees under the Civil Servants Act 1973, while excluding those specifically exempted under Section 5(n)(iv) of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.
According to the FBR, these changes are designed to make the asset-sharing system tougher, clearer, and more transparent, closing any loopholes for hiding assets.
Experts say this move sends a clear signal: senior officials can no longer sweep their wealth under the rug, and Pakistan is serious about keeping the IMF satisfied and pushing long-overdue governance reforms.
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