The International Monetary Fund on Friday approved the immediate disbursement of approximately $1 billion (Rs 8,000 crore) loan to Pakistan. This step is taken under the ongoing Extended Fund Facility, according to a statement from the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office. This marks Pakistan’s 28th loan from the IMF in the last 35 years.
In addition to reviewing the current EFF programme, the IMF also considered a new Resilience and Sustainability Facility lending programme worth $1.3 billion for Pakistan.
Following the approval, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed satisfaction, stating that the disbursement reflects international confidence in Pakistan’s economic recovery. He added that the country’s financial position had improved and is now “moving toward development.”
However, India has previously raised concerns regarding Pakistan’s repeated reliance on IMF loans and its track record of fiscal mismanagement. New Delhi has also warned of the potential misuse of international financial assistance, alleging that such funds could be diverted to support state-sponsored cross-border terrorism—a claim Pakistan has consistently denied.
