Urging Pakistan to course correct

IMF conditionalities reflect ground realities that Islamabad can't continue to ignore

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For far too long, the Pakistani State has overcome its economic problems thanks to the largesse of benefactors such as the US, China and Saudi Arabia or handouts from global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) without carrying out much-needed structural reforms.

In the periods following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the US-led war on terror after the 9/11 terror attacks, Pakistan benefited from the enormous amounts of funding pumped into the country by the US and other Western powers. But such funding can never offer long-term solutions, and Pakistan has ultimately had to go back to its old habit of seeking handouts from Saudi Arabia and China to tide over economic difficulties.