Anti-corruption task force finalises report

ISLAMABAD: The anti-corruption task force, headed by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, has finalized its report, which includes 13 recommendations.

According to government sources, the Shehbaz Sharif government has fulfilled another important condition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the anti-corruption task force, headed by Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, has prepared a report. There are 13 recommendations for improving the framework, including recommendations for amendments to the NAB Ordinance, FIA, Election Act and Civil Servants Act, 1973.

The report recommends rules for public disclosure of assets of civil servants of grades 17 to 22 and their spouses, strict enforcement of rules for monitoring of government affairs and civil servants. It has been recommended to amend the Civil Servants Rules, 1973, to give the FBR the task of issuing draft rules and making public details of assets.

Apart from this, amending the Election Act to make public the assets of prime minister’s unelected aides, advisers, withdrawing the responsibilities of immigration at airports from FIA investigating officers and removing ambiguity regarding the legal limits and jurisdiction of the cases have been proposed.

The report recommends training of FIA, NAB and Anti-Corruption Establishment on legal limits and restrictions, technology for anti-corruption, their capacity building, access to information to the public and an awareness campaign.

Similarly, strict implementation of the Governance, Operations Rules 2023 related to government affairs, strict implementation of Public Finance Management Act 2019 in government affairs, ensuring appointment of Chief Internal Auditors in ministries and divisions have also been proposed. There has also been a recommendation to hire expert lawyers through a competitive process to strengthen prosecution.

Besides, appointment of legal experts for judicial services in special courts, strengthening of Anti-Corruption Establishment for anti-money laundering, central coordinated action plan for investigation, forensics, intelligence sharing have also been recommended.