The International Monetary Fund has ended its visit to Pakistan earlier than planned due to rising security concerns, shifting key bailout talks to virtual meetings from Turkiye. The decision came just after the IMF team began discussions with Pakistan’s finance minister on the next $1.2 billion loan tranche.

The International Monetary Fund decided on Monday to prematurely end its visit to Pakistan due to heightened security conditions and will now hold virtual discussions from Türkiye to reach a staff-level agreement for the $1.2 billion worth next loan tranches.

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The move follows fresh US travel warnings and protests near American diplomatic missions in Pakistan linked to wider tensions in the Middle East. While officials insist the review process will continue without disruption, several high-level meetings were cancelled, adding uncertainty to Pakistan’s ongoing economic reform programme.

IMF Mission Leaves Amid Security Warnings

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation, led by Iva Petrova, departed Pakistan shortly after meeting Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. Talks were part of the third review under Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).

The early departure followed a US security advisory placing Pakistan at Level 3, urging citizens to reconsider travel. Protests near US consulates in Lahore and Karachi, as well as calls for demonstrations in Islamabad and Peshawar, heightened concerns. Discussions will now continue virtually from Türkiye.

Reform Agenda and Revenue Gaps

During initial talks, Petrova stressed that Pakistan’s recent economic growth can only continue if structural reforms are fully implemented. She highlighted the need to raise revenues and protect spending in health and education.

Several planned meetings were cancelled, including sessions on public procurement reforms, sovereign wealth fund amendments, and revenue performance by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The FBR has reportedly missed its revised tax target for the first eight months of the fiscal year by Rs432 billion.

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Concerns Over Governance Standards

A virtual meeting did proceed on asset declarations by senior civil servants, with training support planned through the central bank and the Financial Monitoring Unit.

However, the Global Think Tank Network has questioned whether the IMF is applying governance standards consistently. It compared Pakistan’s reform framework with stricter asset verification systems used in countries like Ukraine, raising concerns about enforcement and transparency.