Islamabad, February 25, 2026 – Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday confirmed that a delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has arrived in Pakistan, with formal talks on the third review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) scheduled to commence from Monday.
Speaking to the media in Islamabad, the finance minister said that the IMF discussions would focus on Pakistan’s economic performance review, including progress on fiscal reforms and revenue targets. He expressed confidence in the country’s current position on tax collection, stating that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had achieved encouraging results, which would be a key point of discussion during the negotiations.
Aurangzeb also dispelled concerns regarding the rollover of deposits from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying there were no outstanding issues and that Pakistan remained in regular contact with the Gulf state.
Earlier, sources revealed that soon after arriving in Pakistan, the IMF delegation held preliminary meetings with senior officials of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in Karachi. During these sessions, SBP officials briefed the visiting team on anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) measures, alongside broader monetary and financial sector developments.
According to sources, Pakistan could receive $200 million under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) if the third review under the EFF is concluded successfully. The ongoing review follows the IMF’s earlier disbursement of $1.2 billion in December 2025, after the IMF Executive Board approved the release under the EFF and the climate-focused RSF program.
The State Bank of Pakistan had confirmed on December 11, 2025, that the funds were credited to the country’s foreign exchange reserves, reflecting in the reserves data for the week ending December 12, 2025. That disbursement followed a series of review talks held in Islamabad between September 24 and October 8, 2025, led by IMF mission chief Iva Petrova, to assess Pakistan’s progress under its ongoing economic reform agenda.
The upcoming negotiations are seen as crucial for maintaining financial stability, strengthening foreign exchange reserves, and sustaining Pakistan’s reform momentum under the IMF-supported program.