Miftah claims IMF "not interested" in providing Pakistan bailout

Former finance minister Miftah Ismail has claimed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is "not interested" in providing Pakistan with a bailout package.

Despite Sri Lanka securing financing from the lender and Bangladesh carrying out IMF-mandated reforms, Pakistan remains the only South Asian country without a bailout. To secure a $6.5 billion IMF loan package, Pakistan has implemented measures such as raising taxes and energy prices and allowing its currency to weaken.

However, Miftah stated that the IMF does not trust the government in Islamabad, with Pakistan having gone back on sovereign commitments three times. Miftah also criticized the government's recent petrol relief subsidy, arguing that it would not be effective and could jeopardize efforts to convince the IMF board.

He warned of the risks of default, noting that the rich would bear the brunt of such a situation, while the poor would struggle to make ends meet.