'Disclose full debt burden': US wants Pakistan to reveal military spending to Parliament
The military and intelligence budgets were not subject to adequate parliamentary or civilian public oversight, says the US State Department
- Sep 21, 2025,
- Updated Sep 21, 2025 12:57 PM IST
The United States has highlighted gaps in Pakistan's fiscal transparency, particularly in relation to military and intelligence spending, in its 2025 Fiscal Transparency Report. The report stated that while Pakistan made its enacted budget and end-of-year report widely accessible to the public, "The military and intelligence budgets were not subject to adequate parliamentary or civilian public oversight."
The report noted that Pakistan's budget documents generally provided a complete picture of most planned expenditures and revenues, including natural resource revenues, and the information was considered reliable and subject to audit by the Supreme Audit Institution.
Other areas identified for improvement included making the executive budget proposal publicly available in a timely manner and disclosing detailed information on government debt obligations, including those of state-owned enterprises.
The report also acknowledged Pakistan's legal framework for awarding natural resource extraction contracts and licenses, noting that basic information on such awards was publicly available, and that the sovereign wealth fund and public procurement contracts were managed with transparency.
"Steps Pakistan could take to improve fiscal transparency include: making its executive budget proposal publicly available within a reasonable period; disclosing detailed information on government debt obligations, including for state-owned enterprises; and subjecting the military and intelligence agencies' budgets to parliamentary or civilian public oversight," the report concluded.
The assessment comes amid warming ties between the US and Pakistan under US President Donald Trump. During his tenure, Trump has extended favorable treatment to Pakistan, including sparing it from US tariffs that affected other countries and announcing plans for a bilateral trade deal and meeting Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir.
The United States has highlighted gaps in Pakistan's fiscal transparency, particularly in relation to military and intelligence spending, in its 2025 Fiscal Transparency Report. The report stated that while Pakistan made its enacted budget and end-of-year report widely accessible to the public, "The military and intelligence budgets were not subject to adequate parliamentary or civilian public oversight."
The report noted that Pakistan's budget documents generally provided a complete picture of most planned expenditures and revenues, including natural resource revenues, and the information was considered reliable and subject to audit by the Supreme Audit Institution.
Other areas identified for improvement included making the executive budget proposal publicly available in a timely manner and disclosing detailed information on government debt obligations, including those of state-owned enterprises.
The report also acknowledged Pakistan's legal framework for awarding natural resource extraction contracts and licenses, noting that basic information on such awards was publicly available, and that the sovereign wealth fund and public procurement contracts were managed with transparency.
"Steps Pakistan could take to improve fiscal transparency include: making its executive budget proposal publicly available within a reasonable period; disclosing detailed information on government debt obligations, including for state-owned enterprises; and subjecting the military and intelligence agencies' budgets to parliamentary or civilian public oversight," the report concluded.
The assessment comes amid warming ties between the US and Pakistan under US President Donald Trump. During his tenure, Trump has extended favorable treatment to Pakistan, including sparing it from US tariffs that affected other countries and announcing plans for a bilateral trade deal and meeting Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir.