Pakistan’s premier says he hopes the IMF will decide on the bailout for his country in a day or two

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s prime minister says he hopes the International Monetary Fund will make its decision in a day or two on the fate of the much-needed $6 billion bailout package for his country. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif spoke on Tuesday to Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF chief. Pakistan has been in talks with the IMF since November when the global lender delayed the release of the crucial tranche of $1.1 billion from the bailout. The deal was originally signed in 2019 by Sharif’s predecessor, Imran Khan, with a deadline for Islamabad’s compliance with the agreement due on Friday. Pakistan is currently struggling to avoid a default with financial help from friendly countries.