PM Imran welcomes debt relief measures by G20, IMF for developing countries

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday welcomed debt relief measures by G-20 countries, IMF and World Bank for developing countries, in which Pakistan is also included, ARY News reported.

PM said this while talking to Finance Advisor Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, who called on him here in Islamabad.

The finance advisor informed the prime minister about the planned approval of an additional 1.4 billion dollars concessionary financing from IMF to deal with the economic impact of coronavirus.

He also updated the Prime Minister about the progress on various components of Economic Stimulus Package announced by the government.

Earlier today, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said Pakistan is expected to get debt relief from May 1.

The foreign minister recalled that Prime Minister Imran Khan had appealed to the world leaders and institutions to restructure loans of the developing countries to cope with the coronavirus challenge.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has supported Prime Minister Imran Khan’s call for a Global Initiative for debt relief to developing countries, amid coronavirus outbreak.

Read More: UN secretary general backs PM Imran’s call for debt relief

At a regular virtual press briefing in New York, the Spokesman of the UN Secretary General, Stephane Dujarric said Imran Khan’s initiative is in the same spirit as the Secretary-General’s own position.

Last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan had called for a ‘Global Initiative on Debt Relief’ for developing countries amid coronavirus crisis in order to ‘promote coordinated health and economic response.’