ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday briefed a visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission on Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook, fiscal strategy, reform priorities and the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable economic stability and long-term growth.
The meeting with the IMF delegation, led by Mission Chief Iva Petrova, focused on Pakistan’s macroeconomic stabilisation efforts, preparations for the upcoming federal budget and the broader reform agenda aimed at strengthening fiscal and external sustainability while promoting long-term economic growth.
During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on maintaining reform momentum, preserving macroeconomic stability and advancing structural reforms to promote investment, productivity and export-led growth within a balanced and forward-looking policy framework.
Finance Minister Aurangzeb appreciated the IMF’s continued engagement and constructive dialogue with the government of Pakistan.
He also acknowledged the discussions initiated during the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings held earlier this year in Washington.
The finance minister highlighted encouraging developments in Pakistan’s external sector, pointing to positive trends in remittances and export performance.
He said recent data reflected improvement in exports on both month-on-month and year-on-year bases, indicating growing economic resilience and gradual strengthening of macroeconomic fundamentals.
Aurangzeb emphasised that although economic stabilisation efforts had produced encouraging results, the government remained fully aware of the structural challenges facing the economy, particularly external liabilities and the need to accelerate sustainable export-led growth.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to deepening reforms aimed at strengthening macroeconomic stability without compromising long-term growth prospects.
In this regard, the minister stressed the importance of moving Pakistan away from recurring boom-and-bust cycles through structural reforms, productivity enhancement, deregulation and improved export competitiveness.
Aurangzeb further stated that the government’s reform agenda had been carefully designed in consultation with international experts and economists.
He maintained that the ongoing policy measures were not driven by short-term considerations but formed part of a broader and technically grounded economic transformation strategy endorsed at the highest level.
The IMF mission acknowledged Pakistan’s progress in maintaining macroeconomic stability despite challenging global and regional economic conditions.
The delegation appreciated the government’s commitment to prudent economic management and reform implementation while emphasising the importance of sustaining reform momentum, maintaining fiscal discipline and advancing structural reforms to support durable and inclusive growth.
Discussions also covered the broader macroeconomic framework, the government’s reform agenda and priorities for the upcoming federal budget.
The IMF mission reaffirmed its commitment to continued engagement and constructive cooperation with Pakistan in support of the country’s economic reform programme and long-term economic resilience.