America played an important role in getting IMF bailout to Pakistan

washington (Best Hindu News): The United States played a behind-the-scenes role in helping Pakistan get a $3 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The latest Staff-Level Agreement (SLA) comes after an eight-month delay in releasing funds for the $6 billion loan in 2019.

“The United States supported Pakistan throughout the process, but also insisted that they implement the reforms agreed with the IMF,” a diplomatic source said, Dawn reported. According to these sources, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had at least two telephonic conversations with Secretary Antony Blinken on this issue. The issue also came up for discussion during the one-on-one meeting between the two leaders.

The Pakistan Embassy in Washington maintained regular contact with US Treasury and State Department officials. At the Treasury, he worked with Deputy Under Secretary Brent Nieman, who oversees international financial affairs. The embassy also sought the support of prominent US lawmakers, including Senator Lindsey Graham, who met a Pakistani team days before the deal.

Dawn reported that the breakthrough came in late June when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Paris and asked her to release a critical $1.1 billion tranche that had been withheld since November.