KARACHI: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb this week met International Monetary Fund (IMF) Middle East and Central Asia Director Jihad Azour to reaffirm Islamabad’s commitment to structural reforms and macroeconomic stability under an ongoing $7 billion IMF bailout program.
The engagement came on the opening day of Aurangzeb’s official visit to Washington DC, where he is attending the Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group and holding high-level discussions aimed at bolstering investor confidence and development cooperation.
“Both sides exchanged views on Pakistan’s reform agenda and reaffirmed their shared commitment to sustaining the current momentum of reforms,” the Finance Division said in a statement after Aurangzeb met Azour, adding that the meeting reviewed progress under the Second Review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and “acknowledged the importance of maintaining macroeconomic discipline.”
The talks took place as Pakistan moves through the mid-point of its 37-month IMF arrangement, which seeks to strengthen the country’s fiscal position, curb inflation and stabilize reserves after years of economic turbulence and climate-related shocks. The IMF currently projects Pakistan’s GDP to expand 3.6 percent in FY 2026, while the World Bank expects 2.6 percent.
