IMF sympathizes with Pakistan on flood damages, assures support

ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sympathized with Pakistan on the recent flood damages across the country and assured of the Fund’s support.

The assurance came during a meeting of IMF’s Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department Jihad Azour with Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar.

According to a statement on Saturday, they discussed the implementation of the IMF program during the meeting.

Meanwhile, the finance minister also met with United Kingdom’s Minister of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Ms Vicky Ford and thanked the UK government for financial support and assistance to meet the challenges posed by floods.

He also appreciated the trade concessions afforded to Pakistan and other developing countries under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS).

Minister Vicky Ford assured of the United Kingdom’s continued support for Pakistan during this difficult period. The two sides discussed ways to further deepen bilateral development cooperation.

Ishaq Dar led Pakistan’s delegation to the high level round table on Pakistan’s floods – impact and response, co-chaired by Vice President World Bank, Martin Raiser and UK Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Nigel Casey.

Displaced people carry belongings after they salvaged usable items from their flood-hit home as they wade through a flooded area in Jaffarabad, a district of Pakistan’s southwestern Baluchistan province, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. Officials say flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across much of Pakistan have killed nearly 1,000 people and displaced thousands more since mid-June. (AP Photo/Zahid Hussain)

The round table was attended by all major bilateral and multilateral development partners and donors.

Initial findings of Pakistan’s post-disaster need assessment jointly prepared by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNDP, European Union and the government of Pakistan were presented in the round table.

In his concluding remarks, Ishaq Dar emphasized the need to provide adequate support to Pakistan to meet the challenges of recovery and rehabilitation.

The minister had another meeting with Chief Executive Officer Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Sultan Abdul Rehman Al Murshid during which he conveyed Pakistan’s deep gratitude for the support provided by Saudi Arab to Pakistan at all times and welcomed the forthcoming visit of SFD team to Pakistan.

CEO SFD assured of SFD’s continued support to Pakistan, the statement added.

Meanwhile, United States Assistant Secretaries, Ramin Toloui and Donald Lu called on Finance Minister Ishaq Dar at Pakistan Embassy to express solidarity with Pakistan over the devastating floods and assured continued US support for Pakistan’s relief and recovery efforts. Other issues of mutual interest were also, discussed, the statement concluded. – NewsAgencies