The statement, sent to The Express Tribune, highlights a widening trust deficit between Pakistan and the IMF, as it negates the claim made by the government with respect to meeting all prior actions necessary to complete the 9th review. The external debt repayments, including interest, for the July-December period amount to $11 billion, said the Finance Ministry sources. Senior finance ministry officials argued that the IMF should not link the approval of the 9th review with the next year’s budget. Less than two months are left in the expiry of the stalled $6.5 billion IMF programme. However, the IMF, already agitated by the government’s contradictory claims about completion of the conditions, may not offer any major relief to Pakistan.
