Pakistan has nominated Mariam Kayani, a Grade-20 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, as Senior Adviser to the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C., for a period of three years. The nomination was made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to reports citing an Establishment Division notification issued on October 7, 2026. Kayani is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Finance Division and will take up the international assignment on a deputation basis, with the three-year term beginning on the date she joins the position. Her appointment remains subject to endorsement by the IMF. The nomination follows the completion of the previous senior adviser’s tenure and places a Pakistani finance official with experience in government economic affairs in a position supporting the Fund’s executive director. The Establishment Division’s notification states that Kayani will automatically be relieved of the post when the specified deputation period ends, in accordance with the applicable government instructions. The assignment is based in Washington, where the IMF’s Executive Board considers financing requests, country assessments and policy matters relating to its member countries.
Kayani’s selection followed a government process to identify a candidate for the Washington-based position. The Finance Division had put forward three officers for consideration: Kayani, Nadeem Ahsan, a Grade-20 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, and Moazzam Raza, a Grade-20 officer from the Customs Group. A ministerial committee formed by the Prime Minister’s Office interviewed candidates before the government selected its nominee. Kayani has previously worked in the Finance Division’s external finance wing, where her responsibilities included matters involving Pakistan’s external financing and international lenders. Her experience is relevant to the government’s engagement with multilateral financial institutions, particularly as Pakistan continues to work with the IMF on its economic programme. She will replace Saifullah Dogar, who completed his three-year tenure in the senior adviser position and is expected to return to Pakistan. The appointment is an official nomination by the Pakistani government rather than a confirmed assumption of duties, as the IMF’s endorsement is still required before Kayani can formally take up the role.
The senior adviser position involves supporting the IMF executive director on matters presented to the Fund’s Executive Board. These may include financing requests from member countries, Article IV consultation reports, policy papers and other issues requiring board-level consideration. The executive director represents a constituency of eight countries, meaning the office’s work extends beyond Pakistan-specific economic matters. The adviser’s responsibilities therefore involve supporting discussions and decisions concerning a wider group of member countries, alongside the executive director’s broader institutional duties. Kayani’s background in external finance and dealings with international lenders provides relevant experience for the assignment, although the precise allocation of responsibilities will depend on the work of the executive director’s office. The position also offers continuity between Pakistan’s Finance Division and its representation within the IMF’s institutional structure. For a country that relies on engagement with international lenders to manage external financing needs and implement economic reforms, coordination between domestic financial authorities and the IMF remains an important part of economic policymaking.
Kayani’s nomination comes as Pakistan’s relationship with the IMF remains central to its economic and financial policy agenda. On October 7, 2026, the IMF reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan on reviews of its lending programmes, potentially unlocking approximately $1.21 billion, subject to approval by the Fund’s Executive Board. The development underscores the continuing importance of engagement between Pakistani authorities and the international lender, although the staff-level agreement and Kayani’s nomination are separate matters. Her prospective assignment would place her in the executive director’s office during a period of ongoing discussions about financing, fiscal management and economic reforms. The role should not be interpreted as giving her independent authority over Pakistan’s IMF programme; rather, it is an advisory position within the executive director’s office, supporting consideration of issues brought before the board. Once the IMF completes its endorsement process and Kayani assumes the position, her three-year deputation will provide a formal channel for her experience in Pakistan’s Finance Division to contribute to the wider work of the Fund’s executive director.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
