The federal government is preparing to make selected details of the assets and income declarations of senior civil servants publicly available by the end of December 2026. The move is linked to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) structural benchmark and is part of wider efforts to strengthen transparency in the public sector.
However, the government does not intend to publish the complete financial declarations of civil servants. Officials have indicated that certain sensitive information will remain confidential, particularly where privacy and security concerns are involved.
Digital Filing Introduced for Senior Officers
Under the new system, federal civil servants in Basic Pay Scale (BS) 17 and above will submit their annual income and asset declarations through an online Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) portal.
The declarations for the 2025-26 financial year must be submitted by October 30, 2026. The digital system has been developed jointly by the Establishment Division and the FBR to replace the previous manual filing process.
The system is intended to cover the complete process, including submission, verification and the eventual publication of information that is considered suitable for public disclosure.
How the New System Will Work
Senior government officers will first provide their basic information, including their name, designation, personal email address, mobile number and CNIC details, to their respective cadre administrators.
The information will then be forwarded to the FBR so that an account can be created on the online portal. Officers will receive instructions to activate their accounts before setting a personal password.
After logging in, they will use the declaration section of the portal to submit details relating to their income and assets.
The FBR will subsequently carry out risk-based verification of the declarations. Where potential discrepancies are identified, the findings will be communicated to the relevant authorities.
Corrections Allowed Until November 30
The government has also provided a period for officers to correct mistakes in their submissions.
Although the initial filing deadline is October 30, 2026, officers will be allowed to make corrections through the portal until November 30, 2026. Such changes will be subject to approval or authorization from the relevant cadre administrator.
Once a declaration has been submitted, officers will be able to track it through the portal’s “Submitted Tasks” section.
Why Will Some Information Remain Private?
The decision to publish only selected information has already generated questions within parliamentary circles.
During a briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal explained that the government had carried out extensive technical work on the system. He said civil servants would be required to declare their assets under the prescribed rules, but their complete declarations would not automatically be made public.
Committee members questioned why civil servants should receive different treatment from political officeholders, whose asset declarations are subject to public disclosure requirements.
The government’s position is that some information needs to be withheld because of privacy and security considerations. As a result, only non-sensitive portions are expected to be published.
FBR to Conduct Risk-Based Checks
A key feature of the new arrangement is the role of the FBR in verifying declarations.
Rather than manually examining every declaration in the same manner, the system will use a risk-based approach to identify cases that may require greater scrutiny. Where inconsistencies are detected, the relevant authorities can take further action.
The Establishment Division may initiate disciplinary proceedings if an officer is found to have deliberately concealed information, provided incorrect details or failed to submit the required declaration.
Public Disclosure Expected by December
After the declarations are processed, selected non-sensitive information is expected to be published on the FBR website by the end of December 2026.
Officers will have an opportunity to review the information proposed for publication before their declarations are finalized. This is intended to provide some protection against the accidental disclosure of sensitive personal information.
The initiative is therefore designed to balance two objectives: improving transparency regarding the wealth of senior public officials while keeping information that could create privacy or security risks confidential.
A Step Toward Greater Transparency
The transition from paper-based declarations to a centralized digital system represents a significant change in how federal civil servants’ financial disclosures are handled.
The government’s plan also introduces a clearer timeline: declarations must be filed by October 30, corrections can be made until November 30, and selected information is expected to become publicly accessible by December.
Whether the new system will significantly improve public accountability will depend not only on the publication of information but also on the quality of verification and the action taken when discrepancies are discovered.
For now, the introduction of digital filing and planned public disclosure marks a new phase in the government’s approach to monitoring the assets and income of senior civil servants.