The government is making efforts to secure parliamentary approval for 174 amendments to laws governing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as part of its commitments under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, sources said.
Sources told ProPakistani that the government wants the proposed amendments to be passed during the ongoing IMF negotiations. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has become actively involved in efforts to secure the support of opposition parties and coalition partners for the legislation.
The Speaker held detailed consultations with a delegation of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in his chamber on Wednesday. The PPP delegation included senior leaders Naveed Qamar and Sherry Rehman. The Minister for Law, the Minister of State for Finance, and the Secretary Commerce also attended the meeting, sources said.
The PPP has already announced that it would not cooperate with the government on the proposed legislation. However, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq sought the party’s support for the legislation required to fulfil Pakistan’s commitments under the IMF programme.
Sources said the PPP delegation would place the government’s request before the party leadership, which would decide whether to cooperate on the proposed amendments.
The government is expected to table the amendments in the National Assembly after receiving the PPP’s consent. If the PPP agrees, the legislation could be presented during the next session of the National Assembly, sources added.
Pakistan has reportedly missed a fourth deadline for amending laws governing nine to ten state-owned entities. The IMF has required Pakistan to align SOE-specific legislation with the central SOE Act as part of governance reforms.
The proposed amendments also include changes to the Maritime Act, while the IMF has called for effective reforms in the governance structure of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).
According to the Finance Ministry, a total of 174 amendments are required across various laws. The government has sought new deadlines several times for completing the amendments to SOE-related legislation.
The IMF has directed Pakistan to complete the required SOE legislative amendments by mid-November.
Sources said the IMF also reviewed progress on making the appointment process for the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) transparent and rules-based. An amendment to the NAB Ordinance is under consideration to improve transparency in the appointment process.
The government had forwarded six laws concerning state-owned entities to Parliament in January 2026 for amendments. Further progress is still required on amendments to laws governing three state-owned entities, sources said.
Meanwhile, the IMF Executive Board is expected to consider approval of Pakistan’s fourth review in November. Approval of the review and release of the next tranche will depend on successful completion of the ongoing negotiations.
Pakistan is expected to receive another $1 billion tranche under the $7 billion IMF programme. So far, approximately $4.2 billion has been disbursed to Pakistan under the programme.
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