Islamabad: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has denied allegations that it had imposed any conditions related to nuclear weapons.
Pakistan has been holding talks with an IMF delegation to discuss the conditions of the agreement since February. The loan is a part of $6.5 billion bailout package that the IMF approved in 2019. Analyst believes it is crucial for Pakistan to avoid defaulting on its external debt obligations.
Resumption of loan approval has been put on hold for several months. Although both parties are engaging for negotiations for several weeks.
Raza Rabbani and Shah Mahmood Qureshi suspect that Pakistan’s strategic assets are causing the delay in reaching a staff-level agreement with the IMF. They have urged the government to clarify its stance on this matter.
IMF’s Esther Perez Ruiz denied imposing any conditions on the External Fund Facility (EFF) in a statement to the media on Sunday.
An official denied speculation that the discussions for the ninth review with Pakistani authorities under the IMF-supported program included the country’s nuclear weapons program.
The official denied any truth to the claims linking IMF-supported programs to Pakistani government decisions about its nuclear program.
