IMF chief meets PM Shehbaz, pledges support for govt’s actions

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to the United Arab Emirates and assured him of the lender’s support for the government’s decisive actions regarding the programme, according to a statement released on Wednesday. In a post on X, she said, “Wonderful to meet Prime Minister @CMShehbaz and his team.” “I am encouraged by their strong commitment to Pakistan’s IMF-supported reforms and support their decisive actions to pave the way to higher growth and more jobs for Pakistan’s youthful population.” These comments come amid the IMF team’s visit to the country for a week-long scrutiny of the judicial and regulatory system as part of the ongoing $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to address governance and corruption vulnerabilities.