Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Thursday met the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and apprised him on India’s ongoing human rights’ violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). In a meeting held on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the prime minister highlighted India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, where it had abolished the status of Kashmir. Kakar called for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. The prime minister thanked the Secretary-General for his unwavering support during last year’s floods and for co-hosting the Geneva Conference on Pakistan’s Resilient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Framework (4RF). Recognising the grave threat of climate change, the prime minister stressed the importance of the fulfilment of climate finance commitments by developed nations. He also apprised the UNSG on the newly established Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), which has the objective of promoting investments in Pakistan for a robust economic recovery of the country. The prime minister appreciated the United Nations Secretary-General’s call for global financial transformation to invigorate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and proposed measures for augmenting the SDG agenda. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva advised Pakistan to tax the wealthy and protect the poor. Speaking to a Pakistani private media channel after her meeting with Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on the sidelines of the UNGA on Thursday, Georgieva said “what we are asking in our programme is that please collect more taxes from the wealthy and please protect the poor people of Pakistan”. Her comments come amid soaring inflation in Pakistan after the country secured a last-minute bailout from the Fund last July. “Of course, it is difficult but Pakistan has to do it in line with the IMF programme as we stand by the people of Pakistan,” she said. To a question, Georgieva said that revitalising Pakistan’s economy is in the interest of its people. “Shortcomings” of the past should be addressed, she urged, refering to reforms the lender has sought in the country. Later, both PM Kakar and Georgieva took to X, formerly Twitter to share that they had had a constructive dialogue on Pakistan’s economic prospects. After the $3 billion IMF tranche was secured last July, Pakistan’s year-on-year inflation hit 27.4 per cent, significantly shrinking household budgets. The month of August also saw exorbitant electricity bills leading to nationwide protests. Persistent increase in fuel prices has further burdened the populace. The caretaker government attempted to first deny the inflated bills as a ‘non-issue’, then made promises of providing some relief but later ruled it out citing Pakistan’s commitments with the IMF. The Fund, on its part, rejected proposals floated by the interim government to offer some relief to the people amid soaring inflation. The IMF has rejected the proposals floated by the caretaker government to provide relief amid skyrocketing food and energy prices.