Published on, Sept. 22 -- September 22, 2025 12:27 PM

The United States has urged Pakistan to bring its defence and intelligence budgets under parliamentary or civilian oversight, underscoring it as a critical measure to strengthen fiscal accountability and transparency. The recommendation was made in the US State Department's 2025 Fiscal Transparency Report, which reviewed 140 countries.

The report noted that Pakistan's military and intelligence expenditures remain largely insulated from legislative scrutiny, limiting informed debate on public finances. It also flagged weak debt disclosures, particularly regarding state-owned enterprises, and stressed the need for making comprehensive debt data publicly accessible.

Despite these gaps,...