LAHORE – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan has extended support for recently-reached $3 billion loan deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after he and his party leaders held a meeting with officials of the global lender on Friday.
The IMF, in a statement, said it was seeking the support of major political parties of the South Asian country, which is reeling under economic crisis, for the nine-month stand-by arrangement and policies associated with the bailout programme.
Following the meeting, PTI leader Hammad Azhar said the IMF team called upon the party chairman at his residence. The meeting was attended by IMF country chief Nathan Porter who joined virtually from Washington and Resident Representative Esther Perez who was physically present.
PTI’s team included chairman Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Hammad Azhar, Shaukat Tarin, Omer Ayub Khan, Dr Sania Nishtar, Shibli Faraz, Taimur Jhagra & Muzammil Aslam. The meeting lasted for more than an hour.
He said discussions took place around the “Staff Level Agreement that IMF has reached with the Government of Pakistan for a 9-month US$3 billion Stand-By Arrangement and in this context we support the overall objectives and key policies”.
“We welcome the SBA to preserve macroeconomic stability by anchoring external financing and sound policies ahead of the national elections due in the Fall of this year and until a new government is formed. We wish to stress the importance of programs to protect the lower-income segments of the population from high inflation,” he wrote.
Azhar also shared a tweet on Saturday, confirming that PTI “has extended it support to 9 month SBA that will be proposed to the IMF board for approval on Wednesday”.
“Contrast this with the action of PDM parties when they were in opposition and opposed critical FATF legislation,” he hit out at the political opponents.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/30-Jun-2023/imf-reaches-staff-level-agreement-with-pakistan-on-dollar-3-billion-loan-tranche
