ISLAMABAD: A move to restrict public access to asset declarations of parliamentarians has triggered serious transparency concerns, with Transparency International Pakistan warning that the proposed changes could weaken accountability of elected representatives and undermine Pakistan’s anti-corruption commitments.
The concern follows the introduction of the Election (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the National Assembly, which seeks to limit public access to the financial disclosures of members of Parliament. The watchdog has urged the president, federal government and lawmakers to withdraw the proposal, saying it would dilute one of the few mechanisms through which citizens can scrutinise the wealth of public office holders.
In a statement issued Friday, the organisation said that the existing provisions of the Act, particularly Sections 137 and 138, allow the public to review the assets and liabilities of parliamentarians, a practice considered essential for legislative transparency and political integrity. Restricting this access, it warned, would weaken public oversight over the financial conduct of lawmakers.
Transparency International Pakistan noted that the proposed amendment could also contradict reforms Pakistan has recently undertaken to improve governance standards. It pointed out that under recommendations of the IMF Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Report on Pakistan authorities are expected to strengthen integrity and transparency mechanisms for public officials.
The organisation highlighted that Pakistan had recently moved in the opposite direction by increasing transparency requirements for civil servants through the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which requires officers from BPS-17 to BPS-22 to publicly disclose their domestic and foreign assets, including those of their immediate members of the family.
“If similar disclosures for parliamentarians are restricted, it would create a situation where civil servants are subjected to greater transparency requirements than elected lawmakers,” the organisation warned.
The watchdog further cautioned that curbing public access to asset declarations could also affect Pakistan’s standing in the Corruption Perception Index, published annually by Transparency International, where the accountability of public officials is a key indicator used by international institutions and investors.
It also argued that limiting transparency would run contrary to Pakistan’s commitments under the UN Convention against Corruption, which encourages public disclosure of assets as a safeguard against illicit enrichment and conflicts of interest.
Transparency International Pakistan has urged Parliament to halt the amendment and instead ensure that a strong legal framework remains in place to guarantee public access to lawmakers’ asset declarations in line with global best practices.
