Planning Ministry asks PM to include it in core team for IMF talks

The Ministry of Planning has formally written to the prime minister requesting a seat in the core team for IMF negotiations, alongside the Finance Division, ahead of the next programme review, Profit by Pakistan Today reported. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the ministry handles wider economic matters such as growth, inflation and poverty, so it should be part of the talks. The IMF review mission is due in Islamabad this week, with the finance minister heading the delegation and Finance Secretary Imdad Ullah Bosal leading technical discussions.

The written request is the ministry's bid to win back a place in economic decision-making at the government level. Historically, the Planning Commission was central to policymaking in the 1960s through the 1980s, while the Finance Division gained prominence from the 1990s.

The Monthly Development Outlook, launched at Monday's news conference, said development efforts would centre on public investment efficiency, priority projects and implementation capacity, alongside private investment, exports and climate resilience. Iqbal also hoped the recent price rise would settle in the weeks ahead, bringing inflation back into single digits. He criticised the 6% growth achieved under the PTI-led government, which he linked to heavier consumption and imports that drained foreign exchange reserves, and said exports and private investment would drive future growth instead.