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Unrelenting hardships

Thursday, Sep 01, 2022

This letter refers to the editorial ‘Pakistan-IMF deal’ (August 31, 2022). Minister of Finance Miftah Ismail appeared overly exuberant following the recent approval of the IMF deal. Beneath the unjustifiable elation are closely guarded commitments made to the Fund, which the government has not made public. While the deal has prevented a default, it might end up increasing the suffering of the people, depending on the nature of the IMF conditions. The difficulties of the nation have been compounded by the ongoing floods. The food supply has been pulverized and the trade deficit is expected to grow. Under these circumstances, the current budget needs to be updated and the government needs to formulate a credible recovery plan.

Arshad M Khawaja

Karachi