Pakistan-IMF deal to be sealed this month: PM Shehbaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that he was confident that the staff-level agreement with International Monetary Fund (IMF) would be signed by the end of this month, ARY News reported.

Pakistan will reach an agreement with IMF regarding the ninth review of the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) this month, said the prime minister and vowed that his government was working tirelessly to steer Pakistan out of economic woes.

Pakistan entered a $6 billion IMF programme in 2019, which was increased to $7bn last year. The programme’s ninth review, which would release $1.18bn, is currently pending.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Green Line Express train service in the federal capital, PM Shehbaz Sharif, who came to power in April after Imran Khan’s government was toppled through a no-confidence vote, said that Pakistan was passing through difficult times and the incumbent government will make all-out efforts to steer the country out of the difficulties.

“The country was going through severe economic crisis when our government came into power,” he said, adding that the coalition govt was ready to take tough decisions for country’s progress.

He also congratulated Railways Minister Saad Rafique on the launch of Green Line Express train.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif inspected the train equipped with recently imported Chinese bogies. The train will ply between Islamabad and Karachi.

According to Pakistan Railways, the Green Line train after starting its journey from Margalla station will have stops at Rawalpindi, Chaklala, Lahore, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Rohri, Hyderabad and Drug Road on the way. The train will be operated with new coaches imported from China recently.

The turnaround time of the Green Line is set at 22 hours which will be reduced gradually.

On the instructions of Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq, breakfast, lunch, hi-tea and dinner will be provided to the passengers during the journey. Apart from this, high-quality bedding and utility kits will also be provided to the passengers.