ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday appointed Mariam Kayani, a BPS-20 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), as adviser to the executive director (ED) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington for three years on deputation.
Kayani is currently serving as joint secretary in the Finance Division and has previously worked in its external finance wing, dealing with Pakistan’s external financing and international lenders.
The appointment followed a selection process launched earlier this year after the Finance Ministry recommended three officials for the Washington-based position.
In July, the Prime Minister’s Office constituted a ministerial committee to interview the nominees and select the government’s candidate. Kayani was selected after appearing before the committee, according to officials familiar with the process.
The other two candidates were Moazam Raza, joint secretary in the Finance Division dealing with the IMF, and Nadeem Ahsan, joint secretary responsible for matters relating to other foreign lenders. All three officials had served in the Finance Ministry for considerable periods.
Kayani will replace Saifullah Dogar, who has completed his three-year tenure as senior adviser to the IMF executive director and is due to return to Pakistan.
The Finance Ministry had earlier proposed an extension for Dogar, but according to sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif turned down the proposal and instead directed that the best officer be selected from among the three officials, including Kayani.
Kayani has 18 years of experience in public administration, policy development, external finance, legislative drafting and district management.
Her experience includes work on sovereign financing arrangements with international institutions, commercial debt portfolios and intergovernmental coordination.
She has also worked on policy formulation, programme evaluation, civil service reforms and university governance, and has led teams at the federal and provincial levels.
Her international exposure includes the Humphrey Fellowship in the United States, an Australia Awards scholarship at the University of Sydney and training programmes in public finance, human resource development and governance. She holds FCA and ACCA qualifications as well as a law degree.
Kayani will join the office of the IMF executive director, whose constituency comprises eight member countries, assisting the executive director with matters before the Fund’s Executive Board.
The adviser’s responsibilities include assisting with financing requests from member countries, Article IV consultation reports, policy papers and other matters placed before the board.
The posting therefore extends beyond Pakistan-specific issues to the wider business of the IMF and the countries represented by the executive director.
Her appointment comes as Pakistan’s engagement with the IMF remains an important part of its economic and external financing policy, placing a senior Finance Division official at the Fund amid continued close interaction between Islamabad and the Washington-based lender.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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