Nuclear long range missile rollback condition string attached with IMF deal?
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has trashed speculations that the global lender had attached any conditions to Pakistan’s missile or nuclear programme as part of the ninth review of the IMF-supported $7 billion loan programme.
The IMF statement coincided with remarks of Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) General Michael E Kurilla during a testimony before the US Senate Arms Services Committee in which expressed satisfaction regarding Pakistan nuclear security procedures.
Stating that there was “absolutely no truth” to any such insinuations, IMF Resident Representative Esther Perez Luiz declared that discussions with the Pakistani authorities have exclusively focused on economic policies to address the country’s economic and balance of payments issues which were as per the Fund's mandate.
The IMF official said there had never been any talk on Pakistan’s nuclear assets. “Nothing was discussed in the past not is was on the table now,” the official added.
Perez Luiz outrightly denied speculations that the lender has put pressure on Pakistan’s nuclear programme link during the talks for the ninth review under IMF-supported programme. “Our discussions have exclusively focused on economic policies to solve Pakistan’s economic and balance of payments problems, in line with the IMF’s mandate for promoting macroeconomic and financial stability,” the statement added.
Earlier on March 17, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Fawad Chaudhry had alleged that the IMF had asked Pakistan to halt its long-range missile programme.
