Forex reserves near $21b after IMF disbursement

Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have crossed the $20 billion mark after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) confirmed the receipt of about $1.2 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). In a statement issued on Thursday, the central bank said the IMF executive board, in its meeting on December 8, 2025, completed the second review of the EFF and approved a disbursement of SDR 760 million for Pakistan. The board also cleared the release of the first tranche of SDR 154 million under the RSF, aimed at supporting Pakistan's climate resilience and long-term macroeconomic stability. Subsequently, the SBP received a total of SDR 914 million, equivalent to roughly $1.2 billion, on December 10, 2025. The inflows will be reflected in the central bank's foreign exchange reserves data for the week ending December 12, 2025.