IMF, Islamabad resume talks, virtually

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan resumed their talks on Monday, with Islamabad hoping that these virtual discussions lead to a deal that eases up ever-increasing pressure on the country’s ailing economy. In Islamabad, Finance Secretary Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh told Reuters the “duration (of the talks) cannot be confirmed but we intend to wrap these up at the soonest”. Pakistan held 10 days of intensive talks with an IMF delegation in Islamabad — from Jan 31 to Feb 9 — but could not reach a deal. The IMF, however, said in an earlier statement that both sides have agreed to stay engaged and “virtual discussions will continue in the coming days to finalize the implementation details” of the policies discussed in Islamabad. The talks in Islamabad focused on the ninth review of an IMF Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement with Pakistan, concluded in 2019. The IMF appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s commitment to implement policies needed to safeguard macroeconomic stability and described the discussions as constructive.