FBR notifies asset disclosure rules for grade-17 and above officers

Pakistan has fulfilled another major condition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), paving the way for strict accountability of Grade-17 and above officers, beginning with a new notification issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

According to details, the Federal Board of Revenue has issued a notification regarding compulsory asset declaration for officers in Grade 17 and above.

The FBR has exercised its powers under sub-section (1) of Section 231 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 to introduce these requirements.

The FBR has also introduced significant amendments to the Sharing of Declaration of Assets of Public Servants Rules, 2023.

Previously, these amendments were published in a notification issued in October 2025 and have now been finalized after public consultation. Several changes have been incorporated into the new rules.

The most important amendment, according to the FBR notification, is the replacement of the word "civil" with "public."

Additionally, a new clause has been added to Rule 2, under which not only Grade-17 and above officers are declared public servants, but employees falling under the Civil Servants Act, 1973 have also been included.

However, officers exempted under sub-clause 4 of Clause (N) of Section 5 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, are not included in this category.

The FBR states that the purpose of these amendments is to make the rules more comprehensive and harmonized, enabling a clearer and more transparent system for the exchange of asset information of government and semi-government officers.