ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar attended the IMF/World Bank Spring meetings via video link and had a meeting with a high-level IMF team led by Jihad Azour, the Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department.
The Pakistani delegation, consisting of Special Assistant to the PM on Finance Tariq Bajwa, Minister of State Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Pakistani ambassador to the US Masood Ahmad Khan, Tariq Pasha, and State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmad, joined the meeting.
According to the Ministry of Finance’s Twitter account, the IMF’s Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department expressed confidence in the Staff-Level Agreement (SLA) being signed soon. The two sides talked about the progress made in the ongoing IMF program, including talks with the IMF mission during their visit to Pakistan and the implementation of prior actions.
Finance Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar attended IMF/World Bank Spring meetings via Zoom from Islamabad with high level IMF team headed by Mr. Jihad Azour Director IMF. They discussed progress on IMF program and implementation of Prior Actions. (1/2)… pic.twitter.com/bel7gcWoma
— Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan (@Financegovpk) April 12, 2023
It may be mentioned here that Pakistan and the IMF have not been able to reach a Staff-Level Agreement thus far, despite having held several discussions. However, during the meeting, actions and advance measures were agreed upon, and the IMF mission asked for more time to strike a staff-level agreement after approval from Washington.
PM Shehbaz Sharif had claimed weeks ago that there would be a staff-level agreement in the next few days. It is noteworthy that the IMF and Pakistan have been in discussions for quite some time, and this latest meeting offers a glimmer of hope that the SLA will be signed soon.
