Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb briefs IMF mission on Pakistan's budget preparations and macroeconomic outlook, emphasizing structural reforms for sustainable growth.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met with a visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission in Islamabad on May 13, 2026. The meeting focused on Pakistan’s stabilisation efforts and the country’s upcoming federal budget. Led by Mission Chief Iva Petrova, the IMF team discussed macroeconomic stabilisation, fiscal strategy, reform priorities, and the government's ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable economic stability and long-term 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 highlighted encouraging developments regarding Pakistan's external sector, noting positive trends in remittances and export performance. Recent data indicated improvement in exports on both a month-on-month and year-on-year basis, reflecting growing resilience in the economy and a gradual strengthening of macroeconomic fundamentals.
Aurangzeb emphasized that while economic stabilisation efforts had produced encouraging results, the government remained fully mindful of structural challenges confronting the economy, particularly external liabilities. He reiterated the commitment to deepening reforms aimed at strengthening macroeconomic stability without compromising long-term growth prospects. The minister underscored the importance of moving Pakistan away from recurring boom-and-bust cycles through structural reforms, productivity enhancement, deregulation, and improved export competitiveness.
He further stated that the government's reform agenda had been carefully calibrated in consultation with international experts and economists. Aurangzeb emphasised 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 the positive progress made by Pakistan in maintaining macroeconomic stability despite a challenging global and regional environment. The Mission appreciated the government's continued commitment to prudent economic management and reform implementation, emphasizing the importance of sustaining reform momentum, maintaining fiscal discipline, and advancing structural reforms to support durable and inclusive economic growth.
Discussions during the meeting also focused on the broader macroeconomic framework, the government’s reform agenda, and priorities for the upcoming budget. The 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.
