Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has claimed that the country might not need financial assistance from International Monetary Fund (IMF) within six months, citing a sharp surge in defence procurement orders following May military conflict with India.
Asif claimed that Pakistan's military displayed its might and proved its capabilities during the four-day conflict with India while claiming that Islamabad was getting record procurement orders for fighter jets and wouldn't need IMF's financial support in the near future.
Pakistan cites mini-war with India
Speaking to a news channel on Tuesday, Asif claimed that Pakistan has seen a surge in defence orders to such an extent after the May 2025 four-day military conflict with India that Pakistan might soon be able to forgo loans from the IMF.
He attributed the increased global demand for Pakistan's military hardware to its "ability to withstand the May 2025 India-Pakistan mini-war."
"Our aircraft have been tested, and we are receiving so many orders that Pakistan may not need the IMF in six months," Asif said, claiming that the world has taken notice of Pakistan's military capabilities.
Indian forces launched Operation Sindoor targeting terrorist establishments in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in May last year. The military action was Indian armed forces' response to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 innocent people. India's military action met with a counter-attack from Pakistan that launched a barrage of armed drones and missiles at Indian military bases and civilian areas. However, the Indian side thwarted the attempt that inflicted little to no damage.
Fact-check
His claims, however, contradicted a Pakistani media report which claimed Shehbaz Sharif-led government was contemplating various options to convince the IMF to allow relaxations in key macroeconomic and fiscal parameters for the 2026–27 budget.
Pakistan, in December, sold its national airline, Pakistan International Airlines, for PKR 13,500 crore (Rs 4,300 crore) after being forced by the IMF to privatise it as part of fiscal-prudence measures and asset divestment.
Rebuffing Asif's claim, Pakistani political scientist-author Ayesha Siddiqa said "he is sounding like a lot of journalists that claim to cover defence -- simply can’t tell the back of a plane/submarine from its front -- Pakistan has around 35% share of the JF-17 Thunder air frame that doesn’t leave enough money that could rescue Pakistan from IMF."
