Government not freezing foreign currency accounts
ISLAMABAD: The federal government is going to free foreign currency accounts in the country. Minister of State for Finance Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha said this while talking to journalists outside the National Assembly on Monday.
She said, “There is no proposal to freeze foreign currency accounts and we do not want to do it.”
In May 1998, the then PML-N government led by PM Nawaz Sharif froze the foreign currency accounts soon after conducting the nuclear tests in a tit-for-tat to Indian tests.
Dr Aisha Pasha said the government had shared the details of 2023-24 budget numbers with the IMF while negotiations are underway to strike a deal this month.
She said, “We have told IMF to conclude the ninth review as early as possible. We have less time and a lot of tension for completing the ninth review.”
The State Minister said that so far the IMF officials did not raise any issue with the budget.
Meanwhile, Dr Pasha said that the Managing Director of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva had assured the Pakistani authorities to complete the latest review.
“All our friendly countries have also given their assurances to the IMF.”
PM Shehbaz Sharif optimistic about a deal with IMF
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif showed optimism about Pakistan’s chances of signing a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this month.
PM Shehbaz said the coalition government has accepted all the conditions of the IMF and implemented them. Premier said this while addressing a ceremony in Lahore to inaugurate the Sports Complex on Sunday.
Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Turkish news agency Anadolu in Ankara, PM Shehbaz said that the government sign a much-awaited deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in June.
PM Sharif said Pakistan has completed all the terms and conditions of the ninth review of the IMF. Pakistanis can hear good news about the resumption of IMF loan this month, he added.
Premier said, “Pakistan has fulfilled all requirements of the IMF as prior actions.”
The people of Pakistan have faced challenges in the past and they will “tighten our belt” and rise again in case the deal with IMF was not materialized.
