*ISLAMABAD – Finance Minister Asad Umar has responded over the issue of IMFbailout package and the Chinese loans.*
*Asad Umar has said that Pakistan’s IMF’s bailout package will not be usedto pay for its Chinese debt.*
“We didn’t approach the IMF for Chinese debt,” the minister told media onSaturday. “It is inappropriate to link the IMF program with Chinese debt.”
The PTI government is under severe criticism from the opposition forapproaching the IMF.
Pakistan has gone to the IMF 18 times and we hope that this is the lasttime, he said.
“We have not done anything usual,” Umar said. “We had to go to the IMFbecause of economic challenges.”
However, the minister said that Pakistan could revisit its decision to seekthe IMF’s help if the government finds its conditions unacceptable.