IMF Technical Team Meets Pakistan Chief Justice

Islamabad, Feb 11 (PTI) A technical team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday met Pakistan's Chief Justice Yahya Afridi to get details regarding the judicial and regulatory system of the cash-strapped country.

The IMF team is visiting the country for a week-long trip to scrutinize the judicial and regulatory set up to address the issue of governance and corruption as part of the USD 7 billion loan agreed last year.

After the meeting, Chief Justice Afridi told the media that the six-member team had sought details regarding the program's implementation and property rights.

“I told the IMF that it has come to Pakistan at the best time,” he said, adding that he had asked the government and the opposition to set an agenda for judicial reforms.

He said the IMF team was informed about reforms and the National Judicial Policy.

“I told the delegation about the agenda of the National Judicial Policy-Making Committee; I told the delegation that the subordinate judiciary is supervised by the high courts,” he said.

Afridi also highlighted that the IMF team made suggestions regarding the protection of property rights.

“I told the delegation that we will make suggestions and create benches for early hearings in the high courts,” he said.

According to Afridi, the IMF team expressed interest in the protection of foreign investment in the country.

Pakistan agreed with the IMF in October to strengthen institutional capacities to fight corruption, support inclusive growth, and provide a level playing field for businesses and investments.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Finance, the visiting IMF team would examine six key governance-related sectors and institutions and judiciary is one of them.

The technical team is separate from the IMF experts, who are expected next month for the first formal review of the USD 7 billion Extended Fund Facility package before issuing the second tranche of the loan.