Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said Pakistan is steadily moving from macroeconomic stabilisation towards economic recovery despite regional conflict and external inflationary pressures, as he met International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The prime minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining the reform momentum, while Georgieva praised Pakistan’s implementation of reforms and said continued efforts could help lift growth and improve people’s lives.
During the meeting, Shehbaz appreciated the IMF’s continued support for Pakistan’s economy and Georgieva’s role in strengthening the constructive partnership between Islamabad and the Fund.
The prime minister reiterated the government’s strong ownership of the economic reform agenda and its resolve to maintain the momentum of reforms and advance structural measures aimed at strengthening the economy and laying the foundations for sustainable and inclusive growth.
Shehbaz said Pakistan was transitioning from macroeconomic stabilisation towards a recovery path, supported by prudent fiscal and monetary policies despite regional conflict and external inflationary pressures.
PM highlights fiscal discipline and investor confidence
The prime minister pointed to improvements in fiscal discipline, external buffers and investor confidence as indicators of progress in Pakistan’s economy. He cited the National Tariff Regime, enhanced domestic revenue mobilisation and progress on privatisation as examples of measures being undertaken as part of the reform agenda.
Shehbaz also underscored the government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable segments of society while continuing with economic reforms and structural measures.
In a post on X following the meeting, the prime minister said Pakistan was “steadily moving” towards economic recovery and reiterated that his government would “stay the course” on reforms. He also said investor confidence was growing and external buffers had strengthened.
Georgieva praises Pakistan’s reform implementation
Georgieva said Pakistan’s strong implementation of reforms had helped preserve economic stability, restore confidence and regain access to international markets.
In a post on X, the IMF managing director said she had met Shehbaz on the margins of the UN General Assembly to discuss Pakistan’s reforms. She added that continued reforms would help lift economic growth and improve people’s lives.
The IMF chief also appreciated Pakistan’s performance under the IMF programme and the government’s economic stabilisation efforts, describing the results as tangible.
Pakistan’s upcoming IMF review discussed
The two leaders also discussed Pakistan’s forthcoming IMF programme review and continued cooperation between Islamabad and the Fund.
Their discussions covered advancing economic reforms, strengthening resilience and supporting sustainable growth, with both sides agreeing on the importance of maintaining the reform process and economic stability.
The upcoming review comes as Pakistan continues implementing measures under its IMF-supported programme, with the government seeking to maintain macroeconomic stability while moving towards broader economic recovery.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Adviser on Privatisation Muhammad Ali, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi and other senior officials were also present during the meeting.
The meeting underscored the continued engagement between Pakistan and the IMF as Islamabad seeks to sustain economic reforms, strengthen external resilience and build investor confidence.
