The Ministry of Planning has asked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to include it in the core team for upcoming negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, alongside the Finance Division.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the ministry had formally written to the prime minister, arguing that discussions with the IMF cover areas such as economic growth, inflation and poverty that fall within its domain.
The request comes ahead of the IMF review mission’s talks with Pakistani authorities in Islamabad this week. The Pakistani delegation will be led by the finance minister, while Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal will lead the technical level discussions.
Iqbal said the Planning Ministry’s request marked an attempt to restore a role it previously held in economic policymaking. He noted that the Planning Commission had played a central role in economic policy during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, while the Finance Division’s influence increased from the 1990s onward.
The minister also said he expected inflation to return to single digits if peace was achieved in the Gulf region and the recent increase in prices eased in the coming weeks and months.
Iqbal criticized the PTI government’s reported 6 percent growth rate, saying it was driven by higher consumption and imports and contributed to a decline in foreign exchange reserves. He said the government would instead pursue growth driven by exports and private sector investment.
The Monthly Development Outlook said future development efforts would focus on improving public investment, speeding up priority projects and strengthening implementation capacity. It also highlighted private investment, exports, productivity, technology, human capital and climate resilience as priorities for broader and sustainable growth.
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