Daily Times

State Minister for Finance and Revenue Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha said Monday the federal government had no intention of freezing foreign currency accounts despite the nation facing a severe dollar crunch. “We do not plan on freezing foreign currency accounts and there have been no proposals to take such an action,” the state minister told journalists outside the parliament in Islamabad. The minister said the government had shared the fiscal year 2023-24 budget numbers with the lender, and the IMF is still negotiating with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). “We have told IMF to conclude the ninth review at the earliest. We have less time and a lot of tension for completing the ninth review,” the state minister noted. The minister said the Fund will not have any issues with the budget. Pasha said IMF MD Kristalina Georgieva had assured the Pakistani authorities that her organisation would complete the latest review.”All our friendly countries have also given their assurances to the IMF.”