Exclusive-Pakistan aims to secure $4 billion from Middle Eastern banks, says central bank chief

By Ariba Shahid

© Reuters. FILe PHOTO: Jameel Ahmad, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), takes a question during an interview with Reuters in Karachi, Pakistan August 27, 2024. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File Photo

KARACHI (Reuters) – Pakistan is looking to raise up to $4 billion from Middle Eastern commercial banks by the next fiscal year, the country’s central bank chief said on Tuesday in an interview with Reuters, as the country looks to plug external financing gaps.

State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmad said Pakistan is in the “advanced stages” of securing $2 billion in additional external financing required for the International Monetary Fund’s approval of a $7 billion bailout program.