Pak seeks stronger ADB support

Pakistan andtr India laid out contrasting yet complementary visions at the 58th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Milan, on Monday, with India focusing on digital transformation and long-term development, and Pakistan calling for stronger support to sustain its economic recovery amid structural reforms. Contrary to claims made by some Indian media outlets that the Indian Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, called on the ADB to stop lending to Pakistan, India emphasised its roadmap to becoming a developed nation by 2047, under the "Vikasit Bharat" mission led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian delegation lauded the ADB president's client-centric, agile approach and welcomed the bank's capital adequacy reforms and new targets under ADB's Strategy 2030. Notably, India highlighted its progress in bridging the digital divide through initiatives like Digital India, which their finance minister said reshaped education, healthcare, governance, and financial services.