ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday praised Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China for playing a crucial role in helping Pakistan with the $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan, which is expected to be finalized when the global lending agency’s executive board meets on September 25.
Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF for a fresh loan program in July to keep its fragile economy afloat, with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb expressing hopes of sealing the deal by the end of August.
However, the delay was caused by an external financing gap, prompting Pakistan to seek commitments from key allies and request debt reprofiling.
The prime minister, speaking to a group of young parliamentarians from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party in Islamabad, shared background details of the efforts to secure the loan.
“Once again, Saudi Arabia, which is our very dear brotherly country, China, which is Pakistan’s trusted partner, and the UAE, which is also a brotherly state [assisted Pakistan],” he said. “If these three countries had not contributed and played their role in this IMF program, it would not have been possible to secure it.”
Sharif also highlighted improvements in the country’s macroeconomic indicators, noting that inflation had decreased and remittances from overseas Pakistanis were on the rise.
He acknowledged the need to expand the tax net, recognizing the financial burden on the salaried classes, but expressed optimism that the situation would stabilize as Pakistan made economic progress.
The prime minister further emphasized that Pakistan needed to break its reliance on borrowing, expressing hope that this would be the last IMF program the country would ever need.
Pakistan PM praises Saudi Arabia, UAE and China for helping with $7 billion IMF loan
https://arab.news/9533z
Pakistan PM praises Saudi Arabia, UAE and China for helping with $7 billion IMF loan
- Pakistan’s key allies helped with external financing gap, debt reprofiling after the staff-level agreement
- The prime minister says he wants the new IMF loan program to be the last one the country ever needs
Pakistan to maintain hard line on Afghanistan after strikes as Taliban vows military response
- Islamabad blames Afghanistan’s ‘guerrilla mindset’ for escalating tensions between the two countries
- Afghan Taliban spokesperson denies militant presence in his country, accuses Pakistan of hitting civilians
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan vowed on Wednesday to continue its current policy toward Afghanistan unless the Taliban leadership abandons its “guerrilla mindset,” days after Islamabad carried out airstrikes inside Afghan territory, sharply escalating tensions between the two neighbors once again.
Pakistan conducted intelligence-based strikes overnight into Sunday in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar and southeastern Paktika provinces, saying it had targeted camps of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), its affiliates and Daesh-linked fighters.
Islamabad has long accused Kabul of allowing militant groups to use Afghan soil to launch attacks on Pakistani civilians and security forces, a charge the Taliban deny. The two sides also clashed in October last year, leading Pakistan to close key border crossings for bilateral and transit trade.
State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry told Geo News that Pakistan had attempted dialogue but would now persist with practical measures if the Taliban failed to change course.
“They call themselves a state, but they have not yet emerged from their guerrilla mindset,” he said.
“Now, with the practical steps we are taking, we want to change their behavior and see them in the form of a state,” he added.
Pakistan blamed a string of recent suicide bombings in Islamabad, Bajaur and Bannu on militants operating from Afghan territory before launching the latest strikes.
Chaudhry said Afghanistan had been acting like “an irresponsible neighbor,” warning that his country’s current approach would continue if attacks inside Pakistan persisted.
“This war will be won, and all this will end,” he said. “If it is not resolved the straight way, then it will be completely ended by a hard-line approach.”
Meanwhile, Kabul has condemned the airstrikes as violations of its sovereignty and said civilians were killed.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also pledged to respond militarily.
“It would be a military response, but its details are confidential and I cannot explain further,” he said.
Mujahid rejected Pakistan’s allegations that TTP or Daesh militants operate from Afghan soil, saying security problems inside Pakistan were domestic in nature.
“Afghan soil is not allowed to be used against anyone,” he said, adding that Kabul had carried out extensive operations against Daesh and eliminated its presence in Afghanistan.
The 2,600-kilometer border between the two countries remains a vital trade and transit route, but crossings have faced repeated closures amid rising tensions, disrupting commerce and humanitarian movement.
Several regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Qatar, have sought to mediate between the two countries, though their military exchanges risk further destabilizing their ties.
