An International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation has arrived in Pakistan to begin a crucial round of economic review discussions under the country’s ongoing bailout programme. Initial technical-level meetings have already been held with officials of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The visit marks the start of formal engagements focused on evaluating Pakistan’s recent economic performance and policy implementation progress.
According to officials, the first phase of talks involves detailed data sharing between the IMF team and the central bank. The delegation will review Pakistan’s economic indicators from July 2025 to January 2026, including growth trends, external accounts, and fiscal developments.
Sources said both sides will also hold in depth discussions on foreign exchange reserves, with the IMF setting a target for Pakistan to raise its reserves to $17.8 billion by June 30.
The technical sessions will further cover monetary policy, inflation outlook, banking regulations, and financial sector stability. SBP officials are expected to brief the delegation on policy rate decisions and ongoing measures related to anti-money laundering and counter-terror financing frameworks.
The visit is part of the third review under Pakistan’s $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme, which remains critical for the country’s macroeconomic stability and external financing outlook.
In addition, IMF officials will also hold discussions under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), through which Pakistan is seeking around $1.1 billion to support climate-related and structural reforms.
Finance ministry officials said the outcome of the review will play a key role in unlocking the next IMF tranche and shaping Pakistan’s economic policy direction in the coming months.
