PTI leader Hammad Azhar stated on Friday evening that a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had paid a visit to Imran Khan, the chief of his political party, at his residence in Lahore. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a recent agreement between Pakistan and the IMF for the disbursement of $3 billion under a standby arrangement.
Azhar confirmed the meeting between the PTI leadership and the IMF team after the lender announced earlier in the day that it was in the process of meeting with major political parties in Pakistan to secure their support for the main objectives of the new deal.
Separately, Imran Khan mentioned today during a court hearing in Lahore related to the May 9 riots that he would be meeting with a delegation from the IMF. He stated this when asked to join the investigation in the case at 4 pm, explaining that he was unavailable due to the scheduled meeting with the IMF delegation.
“The IMF team called upon chairman Imran Khan at his residence today,” Azhar tweeted, confirming the scheduled meeting between the two sides at Imran’s Zaman Park residence. He also provided further details, stating that the IMF resident representative for Pakistan, Esther Perez Ruiz, visited Zaman Park for the meeting while IMF mission chief for Pakistan, Nathan Porter, joined virtually from Washington.
Meanwhile, Azhar mentioned that the PTI team included himself, Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Shaukat Tarin, Omar Ayub Khan, Sania Nishtar, Shibli Faraz, Taimur Jhagra, and Muzammil Aslam.
According to the PTI leader, the meeting lasted for over an hour, during which discussions revolved around the staff-level agreement between the IMF and the Government of Pakistan for a nine-month $3 billion standby arrangement. The PTI expressed its support for the overall objectives and key policies outlined in the agreement.
Azhar further emphasized that the PTI considers political stability and the rule of law crucial for the economic stability of Pakistan. He also mentioned that Imran Khan would soon deliver a speech on the matter.
On June 29, Pakistan and the IMF reached a standby arrangement to alleviate the country’s financial crisis. If approved, the nine-month standby arrangement will provide $3 billion, which is equivalent to 111% of Pakistan’s IMF quota.
The IMF stated earlier today that it was currently in the process of meeting with representatives from major political parties in Pakistan, including the opposition PTI, to obtain assurances of their support for the key objectives and policies outlined in the new $3 billion standby agreement. The agreement is expected to be considered by the IMF Executive Board in the coming days, with a meeting scheduled for July 12.
Previously, Pakistan was not included in an initial schedule released in June, leading to speculation that the IMF might not release funds from a previous program that expired on June 30.
