PTI chairman will speak nation about IMF team’s meeting: Hammad

LAHORE: Secretary General Central Punjab Hammad Azhar has said that the PTI chairman will address the nation regarding the IMF team’s meeting and the standby programme.

Hammad on Friday tweeted that the IMF team called on the PTI Chairman at his residence today.

The meeting was attended by IMF country chief Nathan Porter who joined virtually from Washington and Resident Representative Esther Perez who was physically present.

PTI’s team included PTI chairman, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Hammad Azhar, Shaukat Tarin, Omer Ayub Khan, Dr Sania Nishtar, Shibli Faraz, Taimur Jhagra & Muzammil Aslam.

The meeting lasted for more than an hour. Discussions took place around the Staff Level Agreement that IMF has reached with the Government of Pakistan for a 9-month US$3 billion Stand-By Arrangement and in this context we support the overall objectives and key policies.

“We welcome the SBA to preserve macroeconomic stability by anchoring external financing and sound policies ahead of the national elections due in the Fall of this year and until a new government is formed. We wish to stress the importance of programs to protect the lower-income segments of the population from high inflation,” he said.

He added that Pakistan Tehreek Insaf considers political stability and rule of law as integral to the economic stability of Pakistan.

Following free, fair, and timely elections as per the constitution, a new government mandated by the people will initiate reforms and engage on a longer term basis with multilateral institutions to further economic transformation, higher and more inclusive growth.