The International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package with Pakistan may befinalized in the next few days.
In conversation with the media, US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome saidhe expected that matters between Pakistan and the global lender would besettled in a few days.
He said Washington fully supported Pakistan’s efforts to restart the $6.5billion IMF bailout program. He emphasized that the US wished for anagreement between Pakistan and the IMF and that his government was willingto work with Pakistan to resolve the issue.
The ambassador said that diplomatic relations between the two countries hadmade significant progress. Since late last year, the IMF and Pakistan havebeen negotiating a stalled bailout package, with Pakistan seeking a $1.1billion tranche to address its spiraling balance of payments issue, whichwould also pave the way for well-off creditors to assist Pakistan inovercoming ongoing financial difficulties and challenges.
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Pakistan and the IMF are negotiating a mutually beneficial package toassist Pakistan in overcoming its current economic difficulties. Last week,Finance Minister Ishaq Dar claimed that Pakistan would sign a staff-levelagreement (SLA) with the lender in a couple of days.