The US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, expressed hope for a deal between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stating that Washington was prepared to support the country’s efforts to resume its stalled $6.5 billion bailout program.
Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Blome assured journalists that the IMF bailout package for Islamabad would take its final shape in a couple of days. He added that the United States was ready to cooperate with Pakistan to help address the issue and expressed a willingness to help Islamabad with its ongoing terrorism challenges.
Blome recently visited important cities in Pakistan to meet with groups from different walks of life and noted that there had been significant progress in diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Pakistan and the IMF have been in discussions regarding a stalled bailout package since late last year, with the country seeking a $1.1bn tranche to address its worsening balance of payments crisis and to enable friendly affluent capitals to provide assistance to overcome ongoing financial complexities.
Both sides are engaged in negotiations to reach a mutually agreeable package that would help the cash-strapped nation come out of its ongoing economic turmoil.
Interestingly, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had previously stated that Pakistan would strike a staff-level agreement (SLA) with the IMF in a few days, as the government remained committed to completing the loan program signed in 2019.
However, after failing to convince the lender, Dar had reportedly contacted the US envoy earlier this week to get “lenient treatment” from the Fund, which has been persistent with its demands.
