Nation to be kept abreast of IMF progress, says PM

As the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) continues to elude Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shared the pessimism of his finance czar Ishaq Dar about dealings with the global moneylender, saying in case the deal with the Fund did not go as planned, he would take the nation into confidence and find a way forward. In the same breath, the premier expressed optimism about the ninth review and said all requirements to unlock the funding have been met and the government and the global moneylender would reach an accord by the end of this month. He had made similar comments during a cabinet meeting wherein the budget for the upcoming fiscal year was approved. A day earlier, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had said Islamabad expected little from the Fund beyond the disbursement of money under the long-delayed ninth IMF review, which would result in the release of $1.1 billion. Both the finance minister and the premier, apparently, are on the same page about the ninth review, which they hope would be achieved by the end of this month.