Reports suggest that the government has finally invited the lender of last resort to sit at the table to sort out all outstanding issues that have impeded the finalisation of the Fund’s ninth review for almost four months and delayed the disbursement of the next loan tranche.
Anonymous officials say the government has completed its workings on all contentious areas on the basis of its informal interactions at the recent Geneva conference after weeklong deliberations, with input from the PM.
However, it remains unclear if the rulers are ready to go the whole nine yards to close the deal that is crucial to stabilising Pakistan’s weakening external sector. Indeed, the acceptance of IMF conditions will bruise the egos of some top finance managers of the government who particularly oppose the free float of the rupee.