ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to factor in the country’s political stability in any further bailout talks, British news agency Reuters reported on Wednesday.
According to two senior sources within Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party has dispatched a letter to the IMF outlining its stance. Further details will be disclosed in due course.
Although the IMF has not responded to an email seeking comment on the letter, Julie Kozack, the IMF’s Director of Strategic Communications, addressed the matter in a recent press briefing.
During the briefing, the IMF official expressed anticipation in collaborating with Pakistan’s new government, refraining from discussing former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s intention to correspond with the IMF regarding alleged electoral irregularities.
This development follows statements from Ali Zafar, Imran Khan’s legal representative, who announced last week that the incarcerated former prime minister intends to urge the IMF to advocate for an independent audit of Pakistan’s contentious February 8 national elections before proceeding with talks.
Subsequently, the PTI revised its stance, emphasizing the importance of Pakistan maintaining engagement with the IMF to ensure financial discipline, good governance, and economic stability, vital for the welfare of its citizens.
Presently, Pakistan is under a $3-billion Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the IMF, with one final review pending before the program’s anticipated conclusion in March.
However, reports also suggest that Pakistan intends to request a new loan of at least $6 billion from the IMF to aid the incoming government in meeting looming debt obligations this year.
