Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday confirmed his government’s decision to accelerate institutional reforms and consolidate macroeconomic stability and said Pakistan was now changing from improvement to sustained growth.

“With Allah’s grace, Pakistan is now moving from economic stability to sustainable growth,” said Shearif Sharif during a high -level meeting with a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) led by Jihad Azour in PM’s office.

He emphasized that the government’s highest priority was not only to maintain macroeconomic gains, but also to accelerate extensive institutional reforms, crucial to long -term resilience.

Discussions during the meeting were centered on the implementation of Pakistan’s current International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with regard to progress and the positive impact of ongoing reforms.

The IMF delegation greeted the reforms made by Islamabad and secured continued support for Pakistan’s economic stabilization and inclusive growth agenda.

The meeting also attended key cabinet members, including federal ministers Ahsan, Iqbal Cheema and Muhammad Aurangzeb, Secretary Financing Imdadullah Bosal, FBR chairman Rashid Mehmood Langrial and High -ranking Officers.

IMF’s regional director, Jihad Azour, visits Pakistan this week in the middle of the negotiations on approval of the new budget, as both sides take time to converge on key issues of increasing taxes and rationalizing expenses.

Government sources told The Express Pakinomist that Jihad Azour, IMF’s director of the Middle East and Central Asia, visits Pakistan 10 days after the approval of the second loan tranche in $ 7 billion program despite opposition from India. Azour’s visit is a testimony to smoothing the relationship between the lender and the borrower despite New Delhi’s negative campaign.

Both the Ministry of Finance and the IMF resident representative remained close to the purpose of the visit at a time when the IMF staff is already in Pakistan to reach an agreement on the new budget for the financial year 2025-26.

A senior government official said the government would take some outstanding budget-related questions with the IMF director, especially about greater expenses. The IMF has introduced a new condition in Pakistan that the government must secure parliamentary approval of the new budget in accordance with the IMF staff agreement to meet the program goals. This gives little room for the government to implement its own agenda, although Prime Minister Sharif wants to give relief to that grade.

The sources said the tax target, defense expenses and some grant -related questions were discussed. The federal government has decided to sell almost RS2,504 trillion for defense expenses in the next financial year, which is 18% higher than this year’s award. However, the IMF’s report on staff on Saturday’s Defense expenses for RS2,414 trillion, showed a 12%increase. Some grants and awards of grants are also not completed.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Monday presented the tax proposals for the next financial year to the Prime Minister. PM was also informed that FBR’s tax target could be around RS14.07 trillion, which is about RS240 billion less than the previously mutually agreed target between the IMF and the government for the 2025-26 financial year, they added.

However, there is a possibility that the government can essentially increase the petroleum tax rates in Finance Bill 2025. The IMF has projected petroleum tax collection for over RS1.3 trillion for the next financial year, which could become the largest non-tax source of income if the government starts to charge RS100 per year. Liter Levy on Petrol and diesel. The current rate is RS78 per Liter.