On Thursday, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif had a meeting with Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where he urged the lender to release the stalled funds for Pakistan. He assured the IMF of Pakistan’s compliance with all the conditions set by the lender.
The meeting took place during the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact held in Paris, emphasising Pakistan’s commitment to fulfilling its promises.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the ongoing programmes and cooperation between Pakistan and the IMF. The prime minister briefed Georgieva on Pakistan’s economic outlook, highlighting the government’s efforts for economic growth and stability.
He emphasised that all the necessary actions for the 9th review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) had been completed, and Pakistan was fully dedicated to meeting its obligations as agreed with the IMF.
The prime minister expressed his hope for the timely release of the funds allocated under the EFF, as it would contribute to Pakistan’s ongoing efforts in economic stabilisation and provide relief to the people.
Georgieva shared the IMF’s perspective on the ongoing review process and acknowledged the meeting as an opportunity to assess the progress made in that context.
It is crucial to note that Pakistan’s currency reserves are currently sufficient to cover only one month’s worth of imports. The country had expected $1.1 billion of the funds to be released in November, but the IMF has imposed certain conditions before making further disbursements.
With only one IMF board review remaining before the end of the $6.5 billion EFF programme, Pakistan is expected to present a budget aligned with the programme objectives, restore proper functioning of the foreign exchange market, and bridge the $6 billion gap before the board review.
