IMF agreement to be signed once Riyadh, Abu Dhabi confirm financial support.

ISLAMABAD -- The staff level agreement (SLA) between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will only be signed when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) confirm financial support, reported media, citing sources.

'As soon as support confirmation from KSA and UAE are received by the IMF then the staff level agreement will be signed with the IMF,' sources told the publication.

Media also reported that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had informed diplomats in Islamabad at an Iftar dinner on Sunday that the issues with the IMF will be settled soon.

Almost 46 days have passed since the IMF and Pakistan concluded review talks here in Islamabad on February 9 and the very next day Finance Minister Dar claimed that the virtual talks have begun and the staff-level agreement would be signed within a few days. However, it is yet to be secured after the passage of 46 days.

On the issue of cross-fuel subsidy, there have been dissenting views within the Finance Ministry because the timing of the announcement could not be endorsed at all. It remains to be seen how the ministry will satisfy the global lender on the subsidy.

The bureaucrats from the ministry have resisted the...