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The International Monetary Fund has agreed to provide a $497 million (nearly Rs3,159.7 crore) tranche for Pakistan as part of a bailout package agreed in 2013. The decision was made after a crucial meeting between IMF and Pakistani official this week in Dubai. "After constructive discussions, the mission and the Pakistani authorities have reached staff-level agreement on the completion of the tenth review under the EFF (Extended Fund Facility) arrangement," IMF said in a statement. The disbursement of the agreed amount will be made after requirement by the IMF board approval but it will be just a formality after the agreement reached with Pakistan. The IMF will still have to release $1.1 billion of the total $6.7 billion loan agreed three years ago. The loan helped Pakistan in 2013 to avoid a default when foreign exchange reserves had depleted to a dangerous level. The privatisation of 68 state-owned companies, which include loss-making enterprises like Pakistan International Airlines, is a crucial part of the IMF deal.
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