Planning Ministry asks PM for seat in IMF talks

The Ministry of Planning has formally asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to include it in the core team for upcoming negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, alongside the Finance Division. The request comes as an IMF review mission is due to hold talks with Pakistani authorities in Islamabad this week.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the ministry had written to the prime minister, arguing that discussions with the IMF cover areas such as economic growth, inflation and poverty that fall within its domain. He said the request is an attempt to restore a role the ministry previously held in economic policymaking.

Iqbal noted that the Planning Commission had played a central role in economic policy during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, while the influence of the Finance Division increased from the 1990s onward.

According to ProPakistani, the Pakistani delegation will be led by the finance minister, and Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal will lead the technical-level discussions.

The Express Tribune reported that Iqbal said the loan programme would have implications for people and economic development. He also said he expected inflation to return to single digits if peace was achieved in the Gulf region and the recent increase in prices eased in the coming weeks and months.

Iqbal criticised the previous PTI government's reported 6 percent growth rate, saying it was driven by higher consumption and imports and contributed to a decline in foreign exchange reserves. He said the government would instead pursue growth driven by exports and private sector investment.

The Monthly Development Outlook said future development efforts would focus on improving public investment, speeding up priority projects and strengthening implementation capacity. It also highlighted private investment, exports, productivity, technology, human capital and climate resilience as priorities for broader and sustainable growth.