The US State Department’s fiscal transparency assessment for Pakistan found that military and intelligence budgets were not subject to adequate parliamentary or civilian public oversight. It also pointed to shortcomings including delays in publishing executive budget proposals and limited disclosure of government debt obligations.
The assessment recommended greater parliamentary or civilian oversight of military and intelligence budgets, highlighting the importance of transparency in strengthening fiscal accountability and public confidence.
The concerns come amid the increasingly prominent role of Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in policy areas extending beyond defence. In July, Munir was appointed to a high-level committee formed to address Pakistan’s rapid population growth, alongside senior civilian ministers.
The appointment has drawn attention because population policy traditionally falls within the civilian policy domain. Pakistan, currently the world’s fifth-most populous country, is projected to become the fourth-largest by 2030, according to officials cited in reports.
Munir has also been associated with the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a civil-military mechanism established to facilitate investment and economic decision-making. His involvement has reinforced perceptions of the military’s expanding role in economic policymaking.
The broader trend has raised questions over the balance between civilian institutions and the military establishment. Critics argue that assigning the army chief responsibilities in areas such as population policy and economic coordination risks further blurring the constitutional distinction between civilian administration and military functions.
The issue is particularly significant in the context of Pakistan’s 18th Constitutional Amendment, which devolved several areas of governance to the provinces and was intended to strengthen provincial autonomy.
The US assessment also warned that greater fiscal transparency was needed to improve accountability. The lack of adequate civilian oversight of security spending, coupled with the military’s expanding involvement in civilian policymaking, has therefore emerged as a wider governance concern for Pakistan.
For a country dependent on foreign financial assistance and investment, greater transparency in public finances remains important for maintaining the confidence of international partners and investors.
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