IMF wants friendly nations to give funds to cash-strapped Pak before deal

Pakistan’s government said the International Monetary Fund wants ‘friendly” countries to honor their commitments to fund the cash-strapped country before the multilateral lender signs off on a $6.5 billion bailout program.
 

This has led to a delay in concluding talks with the IMF for the program, Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar told the upper house of parliament on Thursday. Certain countries had made pledges to support Pakistan during the IMF’s review and it “is asking they should actually complete and materialize those commitments,” he added. 

Pakistani officials have been guiding for an IMF agreement in a few days and had