ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Paris on Friday and reiterated the resolve of Pakistan to complete the loan programme with the financial institution.
The premier met the IMF chief before leaving for London. It was his third meeting with her on the margins of the summit of world leaders on a new financing pact.
He appreciated the IMF managing director for taking into consideration the economic realities of Pakistan.
He said, “Pakistan is determined to fulfill all its commitments.” Pakistan valued the assistance of the world in coming out of its severe economic challenges, he added.
The floods in Pakistan further increased the economic difficulties but despite that, the government gave relief to its people, he noted.
He said it was the right of the people of Pakistan to receive relief as economic challenges caused a lot of unbearable pain to people.
“We want a balance between relief to the people and economic reality,” he said, adding bringing the economy back on the path of growth was imperative for meeting the targets set by the IMF. The PM said important measures needed to be taken for restoring the economy that had been battered in the four years of the previous government, adding that revival of the economy would help in better achievement of targets of the IMF. As always Pakistan would fulfill its commitments and pledges made to the international community.
The IMF chief appreciated the resolve of the prime minister. In a tweet on social media platform Twitter on Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said overseas Pakistanis should be wary of malicious propaganda and the use of disinformation to tarnish the image of Pakistan and the state institutions. He said, “I was greatly pleased to meet and interact with the members of our expatriate community in France.
Overseas Pakistanis are making vital contributions to their adopted countries all over the world.
“We, in Pakistan, celebrate and are proud of their achievements as proud sons and daughters of the soil. They feel passionately for their motherland.
“I explained to them the circumstances in which the coalition government assumed office as well as the mammoth economic, diplomatic and political challenges that the government had to deal with over the last one year,” he added. “In my talk, I also focused on the grave implications of the tragic incidents of May 9, including the careful and methodical build-up to the Black Day.
“I appealed to them to be wary of malicious propaganda and the use of disinformation to tarnish the image of Pakistan & the state institutions.
“I also outlined the broad contours of the Economic Revival Plan to put the economy back on track through long-term policies. Achieving economic self-reliance remains the overriding goal for the government,” he added.