Pakistan: The army chief of Pakistan, which is facing an economic crisis, has sought the help of the US (US) to release the important tranche of $ 1.7 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to his country as soon as possible. . According to several government officials, General Qamar Javed Bajwa discussed the matter with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sharman and appealed to the US to use its influence in the IMF to help Pakistan. It is rare for the Army Chief to make such an appeal.
Relations between the US and Pakistan have been strained in recent years, mainly due to the issue of Afghanistan. The relations between the two countries were strained especially during the tenure of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan. Imran Khan was ousted from power in April following a no-confidence motion in Parliament. Nonetheless, Pakistan’s military, which has ruled the country directly for more than half of its 75-year history, has worked closely with the US and was an official ally in the war on terrorism against al-Qaeda. Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Friday confirmed that Bajwa and Sharman had spoken.
Ministry spokesman Asim Iftikhar said, “Talks have taken place, but at this stage, I don’t have a clear idea of what happened during this time.” Officials told The Associated Press (AP) on Saturday on condition of anonymity. The discussion focused on IMF loans. Pakistan and the IMF originally signed a bailout agreement in 2019, but the $1.7 billion tranche has been put on hold since earlier this year. In fact, the IMF had expressed concerns about compliance with the terms of the agreement under Khan’s regime.
