In a stern assessment published in November 2025, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has underscored the vital need for Pakistan to strengthen the operational independence and effectiveness of its anti-corruption agencies — citing that institutional weaknesses in bodies such as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) are major impediments to economic growth.
Key Findings & Recommendations
The assessment, titled Pakistan: Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Report, highlights that corruption is not merely a side-issue but a macro-critical governance challenge for Pakistan.
Among the standout observations:
- The report describes corruption in Pakistan as “persistent and corrosive”, diverting public funds, distorting markets and eroding public trust.
- The IMF estimates that by reforming governance and tackling corruption, Pakistan’s GDP could rise by 5 % to 6.5 % over five years.
- The diagnostic flagged that the appointment process for the NAB chairman reflects “a political compromise” rather than a merit-based, open selection.
- It also found that institutional coordination between NAB, FIA and provincial anti-corruption institutions is fragmented, limiting the reach of investigations.
- The report calls for reforms such as publishing high-level asset-declarations (with risk-based verification) and centralising oversight of anti-corruption functions.
Specifically for NAB and FIA the IMF emphasises:
- Strengthening independent appointment mechanisms and reducing political interference in leadership selection.
- Enhancing investigative capacities, especially for high-value corruption cases (e.g., sums over PKR 500 million) and ensuring consistent prosecution of senior officials.
- Improving coordination among investigative and enforcement agencies (NAB, FIA, PACEs) and aligning them under a more coherent institutional architecture.
Pakistan is currently under a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the IMF, approved in September 2024, which places governance and anti-corruption reforms as central conditions.
The IMF report emphasises that the country’s legal and institutional frameworks for anti-corruption are not yet consistent or reliable enough to provide the deterrence, transparency and accountability required.
From a practical viewpoint:
- For Pakistan’s private-sector investors, improved independence of NAB and FIA signals a more level playing field and reduced risk of politically-driven enforcement.
- In fiscal terms, reducing corruption leakage means more government revenue and improved effectiveness of public spending — critical given Pakistan’s fiscal challenges.
- Politically, implementing credible reforms will test the government’s commitment and capacity to insulate accountability institutions from elite capture.
“Corruption is a persistent and corrosive feature of Pakistan’s governance … those costs can be gleaned from the recovery of corruption-related assets.”
— IMF diagnostic report
“The current method of selecting the NAB chief … encourages ‘political compromises rather than a merit-based, open and competitive selection process.’”
— IMF high-level summary
The government now faces the challenge of translating these recommendations into concrete reforms. Key milestones to monitor include:
- Legislative or regulatory changes governing NAB and FIA appointments and operational autonomy.
- Publication of asset-declarations by senior officials (scheduled to begin in 2026) and establishment of a centralised verification authority.
- Enhanced inter-agency frameworks linking NAB, FIA, and provincial anti-corruption establishments with clear mandates and capacity building.
- Measurable metrics: number of high-value cases pursued, convictions achieved, transparency of institutional performance.
- Oversight by the IMF during upcoming review missions which may tie progress to disbursement of future tranche(s) of the EFF.
The IMF’s latest diagnostic underscores that for Pakistan to unlock stronger growth and investor confidence, the independence and effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions like NAB and FIA must be meaningfully upgraded. The challenge now lies in moving from recommendations and diagnostics to sustained institutional reform and operational accountability.
