Islamabad: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has dispatched a second Corruption and Governance Diagnostic Mission to Pakistan within a short span, deepening its engagement with more than 30 government departments and institutions — including the registrars of the Supreme Court and the accountability court.

According to official sources, the mission commenced its meetings on Thursday and will remain in the country until April 14.

At the time of reporting, the IMF had not issued a formal statement explaining the rationale behind initiating a second governance-focused mission since February.

Insiders revealed that price regulation policies, especially those linked to the sugar and construction sectors, are also under the IMF’s scrutiny as part of its ongoing review.

Initial discussions have already been held with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in Karachi, where matters related to banking regulation, detection of suspicious transactions, and anti-money laundering mechanisms were on the agenda.china vs imf

This marks the IMF’s second governance mission to Pakistan in recent months, designed to finalize a comprehensive report alongside a series of recommendations to address corruption vulnerabilities, strengthen institutional oversight, and enhance transparency.

During its February visit, the mission met with Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi to deliberate over the judicial appointment process and broader legal reforms.

Sources indicate that the current mission will meet the registrar of the Supreme Court to examine issues of judicial efficiency and judge accountability.

Separately, a session is planned with the registrar of the accountability court in Islamabad to review the court’s operational structure.

Meetings with officials from the Ministry of Law and Justice are also scheduled, though a formal comment from the law minister was pending at the time of filing.

During its 12-day visit, the IMF plans to engage with over 30 public entities, including anti-corruption agencies in Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).