The International Monetary Fund has appointed Mahir Binici as the new country head for Pakistan, while the government intensifies efforts to secure the $7 billion loan approval by the last week of September. All this is taking place amid growing suspicions about the motives of the global lender. The IMF's action to set wrong assumptions of the current account deficit during the last two prog
Despite initially beginning the week with a bullish tone, the equities came under late selling pressure on Monday, forcing the KSE 100 index to close in the red amid IMF uncertainty and mounting political tensions. Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation said stocks closed lower amid a slump in global equities and concerns about political noise. He said uncertainty over IMF approvals on the
IS Pakistan’s new bailout deal with the IMF in trouble? Is the Fund’s Executive Board deliberately stalling the approval of the $7bn Extended Fund Facility agreed between Islamabad and the IMF mission on July 15? Are there any geopolitical factors at play? These are the thoughts that come to mind after Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s fresh critique of the IMF amid delays in disbursement of th
Lawmaking must be at the core of governance — defining powers, keeping checks in check, and ensuring public trust. Nonetheless, in Pakistan, lawmakers often swap their legislative hats for power-broker crowns. Instead of crafting laws, they’re busy chasing development funds and jockeying for influence. Elected to legislate and uphold the law, many Pakistani lawmakers seem more interested in the
Pakistan’s investment requirements for addressing its climate challenges are enormous, and then some. In its Country Climate and Development Report, the World Bank estimated that Pakistan — one of the world’s top 10 countries most affected by climate change — needs $348 billion to adequately address its climate challenges till 2030. This consists of $152bn (44 per cent) to support adaptation an