Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, held a productive meeting with Mr. Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), along with the IMF mission team to Pakistan, on the sidelines of the World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings 2026.
The Finance Minister expressed appreciation for the successful Staff-Level Agreement (SLA) and conveyed his expectation for early approval by the IMF Executive Board to sustain the momentum of Pakistan’s reform program.
During the meeting, Senator Aurangzeb briefed Mr. Azour on the economic impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, describing it as one of the most significant supply shocks in recent times. He highlighted that the government is actively managing the second and third-order effects of the crisis, particularly in relation to economic growth and inflation.
The Finance Minister also underscored Pakistan’s successful Eurobond repayment and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to meeting all other bilateral and multilateral external obligations in a timely manner.
Both sides discussed progress on fiscal and structural reforms, as well as ongoing efforts to enhance revenue mobilization. They agreed on the importance of maintaining macroeconomic stability as a foundation for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
