Pakistan's IMF Exit Claim: Khawaja Asif's "Fantasy Economics" Faces $10.6B Reality Check
World
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Moneycontrol•08-01-2026, 20:32
Pakistan's IMF Exit Claim: Khawaja Asif's "Fantasy Economics" Faces $10.6B Reality Check
- •Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed the country would not need IMF aid in six months, citing defence export potential.
- •This claim is based on unverified military success during "Operation Sindoor" against India and ignores Pakistan's deep financial crisis.
- •Despite potential defence deals, Pakistan's $10.6 billion debt to IMF and structural economic issues cannot be resolved by arms exports.
- •Pakistan has a history of 24 IMF programs since 1958, with recent bailouts highlighting its continued dependence and inability to access normal borrowing channels.
- •IMF conditions expose "state capture" by elites, low GDP growth, high poverty, and crushing debt, making Asif's optimism "political theatre."
Why It Matters: Pakistan's claim of IMF independence is unrealistic, masking deep structural economic issues and continued bailout dependence.
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