Pakistan and IMF to begin $7bn EFF review talks on September 22

Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are scheduled to begin review talks and Article IV consultations on September 22. The discussions, expected to last two weeks, will take place in Karachi and Islamabad as part of the fourth review under the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

IMF Resident Mission Chief Mahir Binci confirmed the upcoming visit for the programme review and economic health checks. This Article IV consultation follows a two-year pause in such assessments. During the mission, officials will also scrutinize the implementation plan regarding the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCD) report.

The Pakistani government has reportedly submitted updated monthly and annual import data to the IMF to resolve discrepancies totaling billions of dollars. The findings from the Article IV consultation will be presented to the IMF Executive Board and subsequently released to the public.