Pakistan's back in the spotlight. This time, a top official says the country's almost ready to cut its reliance on the IMF. It's a gutsy thing to say, and everyone's got an opinion. The IMF isn't new to Pakistan — far from it. For years, its loans have helped the country dodge some ugly crises, but that help always comes with a price. Tough conditions follow every deal: spending cuts, reforms, and political fallout. With prices still high and jobs hard to find, talk of breaking free from the IMF is bound to get people's attention.

Right now, Pakistan's tied to another IMF programme it signed up for in 2024. That deal pulled in billions, rebuilt the country's foreign reserves, and eased investor nerves. By the end of 2025, reserves hit around nine billion dollars, a huge jump from the scary lows of 2023.

Inflation's cooled off, too, dropping from over 25 per cent to the low double........

© The Express Tribune