KARACHI: Pakistan’s finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday to discuss Pakistan’s economic strategy ahead of his meetings with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials in the United States with an aim to get a fresh loan for the country.
IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva confirmed this week Pakistan was in discussions with her organization on a potential follow-up loan program to its nine-month, $3 billion stand-by arrangement (SBA). The country reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF following the second and final review carried out under the SBA and is expected to receive a tranche of $1.1 billion toward the end of this month.
The finance minister is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Sunday where he will attend the IMF and World Bank spring meetings and discuss the possibility of securing another $6-8 billion deal.
According to a statement released by the finance ministry, Aurangzeb briefed the prime minister about the performance of his ministry during the meeting.
“The finance minister informed the prime minister about his upcoming visit to the United States,” it said. “He discussed with the prime minister his scheduled meetings with the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other organizations during the visit.”
“The overall economic situation of the country was also discussed in the meeting,” the statement added.
The IMF chief recognized Pakistan’s commitment to the structural economic reforms during an event at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington.
However, she also noted that some important issues, including the tax base and overall economic transparency, were yet to be addressed by the Pakistani authorities.
Earlier this week, the Asian Development Bank forecast a 1.9 percent growth in Pakistan during the current fiscal year, though it also warned of 25 percent inflation during the same period.
Pakistan’s finance minister briefs PM Sharif ahead of key US talks for new IMF loan deal
https://arab.news/zsea7
Pakistan’s finance minister briefs PM Sharif ahead of key US talks for new IMF loan deal
- Muhammad Aurangzeb is scheduled to reach Washington tomorrow to attend the IMF, World Bank spring meetings
- IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva has confirmed Pakistan has approached her organization for yet another loan program
Pakistan invites investors, innovators to back tech partnerships, announces national AI event
- Indus AI Week 2026 to run Feb. 9–15 as IT minister cites inclusive AI policy launched last year
- The week-long event will bring together relevant officials, startups, investors and universities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday invited foreign investors and technology innovators to engage with its emerging artificial intelligence ecosystem as the government announced a week-long national AI initiative aimed at accelerating adoption across the public and private sectors.
Federal Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government would host Indus AI Week 2026 from Feb. 9 to 15, building on Pakistan’s National Artificial Intelligence Policy introduced last year to promote responsible use of the technology.
The announcement comes as Pakistan seeks to position itself as a credible participant in the global AI economy, amid growing interest from governments in the Global South to harness AI for productivity, skills development and innovation while managing regulatory and ethical risks.
“With the introduction of Pakistan’s National AI Policy last year, we laid the foundation for responsible and inclusive AI development,” Khawaja said, according to an official statement circulated by her ministry. “Indus AI Week reflects our determination to take that work further by moving beyond dialogue and toward adoption.”
“We invite international partners, investors and innovators to engage with Pakistan’s growing AI landscape,” she added.
The initiative will be organized by the IT ministry through a public-private partnership and is designed as an open national platform bringing together policymakers, technology firms, startups, universities, students and the wider public.
The program will include a national technology showcase, startup and innovation sessions linking founders with investors, skills training and certification opportunities and public engagement activities aimed at translating AI policy into practical use cases.
The week will open with the Indus AI Summit at Islamabad’s Jinnah Convention Center on Feb. 9, followed by an innovation and learning arena at the Islamabad Sports Complex on Feb. 9-10, with universities, companies and public institutions across the country hosting parallel events through Feb. 15.
