ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has widened the scope of government officials obligated to publicly declare their assets, introducing a far-reaching transparency framework that now covers federal, provincial and state-owned entities.
The change was formalised on Thursday through SRO 2263, which amends the Sharing of Declaration of Assets of Civil Servants Rules, 2023. The revision is also seen as part of Pakistan’s commitments under its ongoing programme with the International Monetary Fund.
Under the updated rules, asset declarations of all covered officials will now be publicly accessible, enabling citizens to review the full history of an officer’s assets from the time they enter public service.
The notification also broadens the definition of “public servant.” The category now includes:
Officers in BPS-17 and above in federal and provincial governments
Employees of autonomous bodies
Staff of state-owned corporations
Individuals working in government-linked firms
The only exception applies to officials protected under the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.
Previously, mandatory public disclosure applied only to a small group of employees governed by the Civil Servants Act, 1973—leaving many public-sector officials outside the reporting net.
Officials said the new rules aim to establish a consistent and uniform accountability standard across all tiers of government and state-owned enterprises, ensuring wider transparency and public oversight.
