New York: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has indicated that it is willing to work with the incoming Pakistani government, but it has refrained from responding to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s demand for an audit of the election results as a requirement before authorizing any new loan for Islamabad.
The Standby Arrangement (SBA) lender brought total disbursements to $1.9 billion on January 11, according to IMF Director of Communications Julie Kozack, who was speaking at a press conference. She also stated that the program is “supporting the authority’s efforts to stabilize the economy and to, of course, with a strong focus on protecting the most vulnerable.”
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The official expressed gratitude for the temporary arrangement and stated that economic stability has been upheld by the authorities throughout the caretaker government’s rule.
This has been accomplished by closely adhering to budgetary constraints and safeguarding the social safety net. In order to keep foreign exchange reserves growing and rein in inflation, a strict monetary policy stance has been maintained, the speaker stated. “We look forward to working with the new government on policies to ensure macroeconomic stability and prosperity for all of Pakistan’s citizens,” the statement continued.
“I’m not going to comment on ongoing political developments,” she said in response to a question on former prime minister Imran Khan’s request for an audit of the poll results.
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The PTI founding chairman decided to write a letter to the international lender, asking it to demand an audit of the election held on February 8 before it proceeds with talks with Islamabad for a new loan program. This decision prompted the IMF to release its statement.