Budget talks with IMF successful: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the forthcoming federal budget had been successful, paving the way for a new phase of economic growth.

Talking to a select group of journalists, Sharif said the government had stabilised the economy and would now shift its focus toward sustained development.

“We have achieved economic stability; now we must embark on the journey of economic development,” he said, claiming that no corruption cases had emerged during the current tenure of his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.

IMF disagrees with Pakistan over key targets, subsidies ahead of budget

Sharif also signalled readiness to engage in dialogue with India, proposing talks on four key issues: Kashmir, water, trade, and terrorism.

“Pakistan is willing to hold talks anywhere in the world,” he said, adding that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks were driven by domestic political pressure.

“We have taken our revenge for 1971 from India,” Sharif claimed, stating that Pakistan had shot down six aircraft, including four Rafale fighter jets.

He further said the government was committed to implementing sustainable reforms across national institutions, aiming to transform Pakistan into a stable and competitive global economy.

It is pertinent to mention that the federal budget for the next fiscal year is expected to be a reform-driven, IMF-guided document focused on economic stabilisation, balancing fiscal consolidation with targeted relief.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb is scheduled to present the budget in National Assembly on June 10, following a delay caused by protracted discussions with the IMF over tax relief. The budget was initially slated for June 2. Development spending under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), originally set at Rs1.4 trillion – including Public-Private Partnership projects – has been revised downward twice, first to Rs1.25 trillion and later to Rs1.096 trillion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025