Anti-government protests that have gripped the capital since mid-August could throw off course economic reforms Pakistan promised to deliver in return for an IMF bailout, senior officials said, raising the risk of a sovereign rating downgrade.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) saved Pakistan from possible default last September by agreeing to lend $6.6 billion over three years, conditional on reforms such as a longstanding pledge to privatise loss-making state companies.
“The programme is not in jeopardy at the moment,” said a top economic adviser with direct knowledge of talks with the Fund. “The IMF folk think that if we can wrap this crisis up in a week or so, things will remain on course and normal. But if it goes on any longer, then, yes, we will be in trouble.” Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan voiced concern that an IMF team had already cancelled a visit to Pakistan because of the protests that turned violent last week as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif refused to resign. He said more than a year of efforts to fix the economy had “gone up in smoke”.
“The government has very painstakingly been building a house of international confidence, and the foundation of this was the IMF package and abiding by our reforms’ promises,” the minister told Reuters.
“But … our struggles of 14 months have gone up in smoke in a matter of 14 days. We are pushed to a point where we have to go back to the drawing board.”
