News about Pakistan

Pakistan is awaiting IMF Executive Board approval for about $1.2 billion in new financing: roughly $1 billion from its $7 billion Extended Fund Facility and $210 million from its $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility, which would bring total disbursements under the two to about $5.7 billion. Real GDP grew 4% in the first three quarters of FY2026 (3.6% estimated for the full year), inflation eased to about 10.3% in September from its May peak, and reserves reached around $21 billion at end-September. Still, geopolitical tensions, volatile energy prices and tighter global financial conditions threaten the recovery, and Pakistan remains heavily reliant on external lenders, while the World Bank considers its growth model unsustainable. Pakistan will chair the Boards of Governors of the IMF and World Bank Group in 2027, the first time since 1953, a post with diplomatic weight but no control over lending decisions.