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Parliamentary sources told Aaj English TV that the government has decided to extend the ongoing National Assembly session until October 30 to finalise key legislation. The session was originally scheduled to continue until October 26 but will now run four additional days to allow pending and proposed bills to be passed by the lower house of parliament. During the extended period the government plans to introduce new bills and propose amendments to existing laws in light of recent Supreme Court rulings. Changes to laws related to economic and legal reforms will also be tabled to meet conditions imposed by the International Monetary Fund according to the sources.
The PML-N has fully taken its key ally the Pakistan Peoples Party into confidence over the proposed legislation and briefed it on the major bills and amendments the sources added. Aaj English TV reported that the move aims to ensure the lower house can address multiple items before the session concludes. This extension comes after recent sittings where proceedings faced disruptions including lack of quorum that forced adjournments as Dawn.com detailed in its coverage of the October 23 session.
Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal stated before the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue in September 2026 that Pakistan will have to make 174 legislative amendments to comply with International Monetary Fund conditions under the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility. These amendments span taxation energy privatisation the Sovereign Wealth Fund sugar policy Islamic banking and fiscal consolidation according to a report in The News. The Finance Division noted 15 structural benchmarks under the fourth review including governance mechanisms for the sovereign wealth fund and its state-owned enterprises.
An International Monetary Fund staff-level agreement reached on October 8 2026 unlocked about $1.21 billion in financing subject to Executive Board approval as Bol News reported. The disbursement includes roughly $1 billion under the Extended Fund Facility and $210 million under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility bringing cumulative drawdowns to approximately $5.7 billion. Real GDP growth reached 3.6 percent for fiscal year 2026 while headline inflation moderated to 10.3 percent in September and gross foreign exchange reserves rose to $21.5 billion according to the IMF mission chief.
Recent National Assembly proceedings have included passage of the Life Insurance (Nationalisation) (Amendment) Bill 2026 which provides for establishment of the State Life Insurance Company Limited under the Companies Act 2017. The bill states that appointment of the chief executive officer and board of directors will follow the State-Owned Enterprises Act and the Companies Act. Such measures align with broader governance reforms sought by the International Monetary Fund for state-owned enterprises as Tribune.com.pk indicated in its reporting on required law changes.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance proposed around 30 amendments to the Finance Bill 2026 including alterations to tax provisions on rates enforcement and exemptions according to Bol News. These recommendations were finalised and forwarded to the full National Assembly for approval. The committee’s actions reflect ongoing efforts to address revenue mobilisation and fiscal targets tied to the International Monetary Fund programme.
