Khawaja Asif says Pakistan may not need IMF loans soon — what's behind the claim

Pakistan connected Tuesday expressed assurance that it whitethorn nary longer request fiscal assistance from the International Monetary Fund wrong six months, with Pakistan defence curate Khawaja Asif claiming the state had seen a surge successful craft orders pursuing a four-day subject standoff with India successful May, Geo TV reported.Speaking connected a Geo News programme, Asif made a fanciful assertion portion arguing that the May 2025 India-Pakistan struggle showcased Pakistan's "resolve and subject effectiveness" to the world.Military tensions escalated successful May 2025 aft Pakistan-sponsored terrorists carried retired a panic onslaught successful Pahalgam, sidesplitting 26 civilians successful April. India responded with a beardown subject operation, launching Operation Sindoor, nether which it targeted and destroyed aggregate panic camps and Pakistani subject facilities.However, Khawaja Asif, appearing disconnected from the crushed reality, made specified statements aft a Bangladeshi defence delegation met Pakistan's aerial main to sermon a imaginable merchantability of the JF-17 Thunder, the multi-role combatant craft jointly developed by China and Pakistan. There are besides reports of talks betwixt Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to person astir $2 cardinal successful Saudi loans into a JF-17 combatant pitchy deal, according to 2 Pakistani sources cited by Reuters.

According to Arab News, respective countries person since stepped up defence engagement with Pakistan.“Right now, the fig of orders we are receiving aft reaching this constituent is important due to the fact that our craft person been tested,” defence curate Asif told Pakistan’s Geo News channel.“We are receiving these orders, and it is imaginable that aft six months we whitethorn not adjacent request the IMF,” helium said.Pakistan markets the Chinese co-developed JF-17 arsenic a lower-cost multi-role combatant and has positioned itself arsenic a supplier offering aircraft, grooming and attraction extracurricular Western proviso chains.“I americium saying this with afloat confidence,” Asif said. “If each these orders materialise implicit the adjacent six months, we volition not request the IMF.”

Pakistan's repeated reliance connected IMF

Pakistan has repeatedly turned to the International Monetary Fund implicit the years, for fiscal enactment to stabilise its fragile economy, with specified assistance tied to strict conditions including fiscal reforms, subsidy cuts and revenue-enhancing measures.In September 2024, the IMF approved a $7 cardinal bailout for Pakistan nether its Extended Fund Facility (EFF), followed by a abstracted $1.4 cardinal indebtedness nether its clime resilience money successful May 2025, aimed astatine bolstering the country’s economical stableness and clime resilience.

Bangladesh shows involvement successful Pak's JF-17

Demonstrating Dhaka’s efforts to determination person to Islamabad, Bangladesh has expressed “potential interest” successful acquiring the JF-17 Thunder combatant craft from Pakistan, on with plans to resume nonstop flights betwixt the 2 countries from January 29 aft a spread of much than a decade.The JF-17, jointly developed by China and Pakistan, was deployed by Pakistan against India during the May 7–10 hostilities. In November past year, Indian Air Force main Air main Marshal A P Singh said the craft was among astatine slightest 5 high-tech Pakistani fighters changeable down during Operation Sindoor.This latest improvement and closeness betwixt Pakistan and Bangladesh comes nether the pretext of Dhaka's straining relations with India.

Pak seeks JF-17 woody with Saudi Arabia

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are besides successful talks to person astir $2 cardinal successful Saudi loans into a JF-17 combatant pitchy deal, arsenic 2 Pakistani sources told Reuters, successful a determination that would deepen subject practice betwixt 2 Islamic nations. Pakistan and Saudi signed a communal defence pact past year.The discussions item efforts by the long-time allies to operationalise defence practice astatine a clip erstwhile Pakistan is nether acute fiscal strain and Saudi Arabia is recalibrating its information partnerships amid uncertainty implicit US commitments successful the Middle East.