Senate Panel Approves Bill Requiring Senior Civil Servants to Declare Assets

In a major step towards transparency and public accountability, the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, chaired by Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan, has approved the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill. The bill mandates all civil servants of Grade-17 and above to declare their domestic and foreign assets, including those of their spouses and dependent children.

The declarations will be submitted to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which will be authorized to make the information public, while maintaining a balance between public interest and privacy. The bill also ensures protection of sensitive personal information such as CNIC numbers, addresses, and bank account details.

Cabinet officials confirmed that once the bill becomes law, the declarations will become legally binding. The Establishment Division stated that extensive consultations with FBR were held before finalizing the draft.

“This is a good piece of legislation,” said Senator Farooq H. Naek, while PML-N’s Senator Anusha Rehman pledged her full support, emphasizing the importance of transparency in governance.

If passed by the full Senate and National Assembly, the bill could mark a new chapter in bureaucratic accountability in Pakistan.