New York – Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Ms Kristalina Georgieva on Wednesday said that continued reforms will help Pakistan lift growth and improve people’s lives.
“I had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister on the margins of #UNGA to discuss Pakistan’s reforms. Strong implementation has helped preserve stability, restore confidence & regain market access. Continued reforms will help lift growth & improve people’s lives,” she wrote on X following her meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
PM Shehbaz Sharif met with MD IMF Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
The PM appreciated the IMF’s continued support for Pakistan’s economy and reaffirmed his Government’s unwavering commitment to the successful implementation of the IMF-supported reform programme. He particularly appreciated the Managing Director’s role in strengthening Pakistan’s constructive partnership with the Fund.
The PM reaffirmed the government’s strong ownership of the economic reform agenda and reiterated Pakistan’s strong resolve to maintain the momentum of reforms and advance structural measures aimed at strengthening the economy and laying the foundations for sustainable and inclusive growth.
The PM further noted that, despite regional conflict and external inflationary pressures, Pakistan was successfully transitioning from macroeconomic stabilization towards a recovery path, supported by prudent fiscal and monetary policies.
He highlighted improvements in fiscal discipline, external buffers and investor confidence. He cited the National Tariff Regime, enhanced domestic revenue mobilization, and progress on privatization as examples of Pakistan’s efforts. The Prime Minister also underscored the Government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable segments of society alongside maintaining economic reforms.
The Managing Director appreciated Pakistan’s performance under the IMF programme and the Government’s efforts for economic stabilization that were yielding tangible results.
The two leaders also discussed Pakistan’s forthcoming IMF programme review and the continued cooperation between Pakistan and the Fund in advancing reforms, strengthening economic resilience and supporting sustainable growth.
Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Sen.Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Advisor on Privatization Muhammad Ali, SAPM Tariq Fatemi and other senior officials were also present during the meeting.
He said the declaration’s message was profound, as progress must not merely create wealth but must advance social development and uphold human dignity.
The prime minister regretted that this promise today confronted a stark reality across the developing world, where shrinking fiscal space and scarce resources were being diverted from human development.
He said climate disasters were erasing hard-earned gains, while technological inequalities threatened to carry old divides into a new digital age, adding that a right could not be realized where the means to realize it were denied. He called for a proactive approach in this regard.
Highlighting Pakistan’s development efforts, the prime minister said the country’s development pursuits were anchored in a homegrown economic transformation plan built on enhancing exports, embracing digital technologies, taking effective climate action, enhancing energy infrastructure, and ensuring equity and empowerment. He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor complemented this agenda.
Beyond national efforts, Prime Minister Shehbaz called for addressing debt distress, which he termed a debt trap, besides reforming the international financial architecture to provide concessional finance, deliver climate adaptation and loss and damage support, and bridge the digital and AI divide.
He said Pakistan supported the early adoption of the International Covenant on the Right to Development. The prime minister said that the true measure of development was not how far the world advanced, but whether humanity advanced together in a collective mode.
He expressed the hope that the anniversary would mark the moment when the world moved from declaration to action.
Also, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday met Chair of the Gates Foundation Bill Gates wherein he reiterated his government’s unwavering commitment to ensure complete eradication of polio from the country.
During the meeting held on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly here, the prime minister thanked the Gates Foundation for its longstanding assistance in the important endeavor and expressed his personal commitment to polio eradication.
Recalling Gates Foundation Team’s recent visit to Pakistan earlier this month, the prime minister appreciated the Foundation’s engagement with Pakistan in support of polio eradication, maternal and child health, nutrition, immunization, digitization, and financial inclusion.
Acknowledging Pakistan’s efforts under the prime minister’s leadership and his guidance to the provincial governments for the countrywide polio vaccine program, Bill Gates stressed that polio eradication was vital to protect future generations from the crippling disease.
Prime Minister Shehbaz complimented the Gates Foundation for being a trusted partner in Pakistan’s socio-economic development and expressed interest in broadening collaboration in areas including public health, agriculture, digital innovation and artificial intelligence.
He also apprised Bill Gates of the agricultural reforms being undertaken by his government, with particular emphasis on innovation, biotechnology, climate resilience, research, and capacity-building for farmers. The two sides agreed to explore opportunities for collaboration in the development of improved seeds, livestock genetics and emerging agricultural technologies.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to continued and constructive engagement with a view to further strengthening and expanding partnerships that support sustainable development, technological advancement and improved social sectors outcomes for the people of Pakistan.
While recalling his earlier visits, the prime minister extended an invitation to Bill Gates to undertake a visit to Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterating the importance Pakistan attached to its historically close and fraternal ties with Bosnia and Herzegovina, reaffirmed his desire to elevate these relations into a robust, broad-based partnership anchored in trade and economic cooperation.
The prime minister, in a meeting with Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Dr. Denis Becirovic on the sidelines of 81st session of the UN General Assembly, stressed that regional stability depended on a strong, stable and prosperous Bosnia and Herzegovina, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, including political, economic, defence, skilled labour mobility, education and cultural spheres, and held a frank exchange of views on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
Congratulating Dr. Becirovic on the formal opening of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU accession talks, the prime minister said that Pakistan viewed the country as a potential regional trade and connectivity hub for Pakistani goods entering European and Western Balkan markets.
PM Shehbaz Sharif meets with President of Syrian Arab Republic Ahmed al-Sharaa
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met today with President of the Syrian Arab Republic, H.E. Mr. Ahmed al-Sharaa, on sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to its historic and fraternal relations with Syria. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for Syria’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and political independence, and expressed good wishes for the Syrian people in their efforts towards national stabilization, cohesion, peace and economic recovery.
The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, including through enhanced high-level exchanges, activation of institutional mechanisms, and cooperation in trade and investment, education, information technology and other areas of mutual interest. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to contribute to Syria’s reconstruction and economic recovery.
The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s principled support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He underscored the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and respect for the principles of the UN Charter for promoting peace and stability in the region.
The two leaders also exchanged views on the regional situation. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and for a just and lasting resolution of the Palestine issue in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and international law.
The meeting provided an opportunity to reaffirm the longstanding bonds of friendship between Pakistan and Syria and to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the years ahead.
