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ISLAMABAD, Dec 01 (APP): Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday firmly rejected the perception that the government had delayed or attempted to withhold the publication of the IMF’s Technical Assistance Report on Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment in Pakistan, telling the Senate that the document underwent a rigorous review process involving extensive consultations.
The finance minister told the Upper House of the Parliament while winding up the debate on the motion moved by Senator Kamran Murtaza, who pointed to the Fund’s findings that corruption poses serious threats to economic development.
“I come from the private sector,” he told the House.“When a report is issued, it is circulated among departments, feedback is taken, some points are incorporated, others are rejected.
This process takes time — even two to two-and-a-half months. The same happened here. Around 100 meetings were held, 30 entities were involved, comments were received, discussed again, and only then was the report published.”
Calling claims of deliberate delay “illogical”, Aurangzeb said the government had facilitated the entire process and had “no reason not to publish” the report.
The minister said the government was already working to digitise various processes to curb leakages and reduce human discretion — measures he stressed were essential for lowering corruption. “As you take out human intervention, corruption declines,” he added, assuring lawmakers that further details would be shared with the House.
He also endorsed the points raised regarding governance improvements, professional capacity in technical ministries, and remuneration reforms. These matters, he said, were being reviewed by the civil service reforms committee headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, of which he is also a member.
Aurangzeb supported the proposal for a detailed briefing on tax reforms and said that whenever the House desired, the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) could present a comprehensive update on “people, processes, technology and transformation.”
He noted that the same presentation had already been shared with embassies, the Pakistan Business Council, overseas Pakistanis and international development partners.
He further told the Senate that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was personally leading efforts toward a “cashless and digital Pakistan,” with clear milestones set for December 2025, June 2026 and December 2026. The government, he added, would present progress on these timelines whenever requested.
Senators Jam Safiullah Khan and Mohammad Abdul Qadir also participated in the discussion, highlighting governance deficiencies, weaknesses in tax administration and the urgent need for institutional reforms.
Lawmakers across the aisle underlined that addressing corruption and strengthening governance remain essential for restoring public confidence and stabilising Pakistan’s economic trajectory.