KP CM aide questions delay in IMF tranche release

PESHAWAR: Advisor to Chief Minister on Finance and Inter-Provincial Coordination Muzammil Aslam on Saturday raised serious concerns over the federal government’s handling of its dealings with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In a statement, the CM aide said that while the IMF mission concluded its review on March 24, 2025, nearly three weeks have passed without any official announcement regarding the approval of the review by the IMF board or the disbursement of the next tranche of the loan.

He questioned the reasons behind the delay, particularly in light of ongoing negotiations between the government and the IMF regarding a new climate resilience-related fund. Aslam also sought clarity on why the government was attempting to manage two separate loan arrangements simultaneously.

The advisor expressed apprehension that the government’s reluctance to reduce fuel prices may be due to IMF concerns over revenue shortfalls.

He criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his happiness over securing loans.

“The prime minister treats the acquisition of loans as a major achievement,” he said and termed it as disgraceful. He also criticised the practice of celebrating loan agreements, pointing out that several memorandum of understandings (MoUs) signed by the prime minister have yet to materialise.