Pakistan IMF bailout

Sharif secured 201 votes, defeating Omar Ayub, who was backed by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

No number of IMF packages or foreign bailouts will suffice in keeping the Pakistani economy afloat without the country undergoing a multifaceted structural revamp.

It will save Pakistan from defaulting on debt, but analysts say the country needs $20 billion in the next two years to return foreign loans with interest.

Elections are looming. There is a risk of politicians forgetting their commitments to the IMF.

The long-awaited package will provide the country, which is in the grip of political and economic crises, with some relief.

The key to escape Pakistan’s sovereign debt trap is hiding in plain sight – deleveraging.

Amid stalled negotiations over restarting a bailout package, the IMF has criticized the government for failing to implement a more fair tax system.

Delaying the IMF program has negatively affected investor confidence, increased inflation, and hindered growth prospects.

The government's bid to revive a $6 billion bailout led it to hike taxes on natural gas for domestic and industrial consumers from 16 percent to 112 percent.

Governments come and go, but Pakistan's economic woes – and its love/hate relationship with the IMF – remain constant.

However, the funding body's representatives say that additional measures are needed to bring the budget in line with its objectives.