Pak holds talks with IMF delegation on bailout package

Senior Pakistani officials on Wednesday held technical discussions with a visiting IMF delegation for a bailout package to the cash-strapped country.

The talks will continue for about a week. Pakistan is seeking USD 8 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to bail itself out from a severe balance-of-payments crisis that threatens to cripple the country's economy.

With the generous Chinese assistance, Pakistan has so far received a total of USD 9.1 billion in financial aid packages from friendly countries during the current fiscal year.

Wednesday's talks came days after Prime Minister Imran Khan met IMF chief Christine Lagarde in Beijing.

The IMF delegation, which arrived in Islamabad on Monday, is expected to conclude the technical details of the proposed loan by May 6. The proposed bailout package is expected to range between USD 7 billion and USD 8 billion, Geo News reported.

The Pakistani delegation was led by Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance, Dr Abdul Hafeez ...