The Congress on Tuesday urged the government to “strongly oppose IMF (International Monetary Fund) assistance to Pakistan”.

“The IMF has just announced that its Executive Board is meeting on May 9th, 2025, to consider Pakistan’s request for a new $1.3 billion loan under the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Facility. The INC expects India to strongly oppose this assistance,” Congress general secretary in-charge, Communications, Jairam Ramesh said in a post shared on the social media handle X.

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As per the IMF calendar, the Executive Board of the major financial agency of the UN is scheduled to meet on May 9 to discuss the country’s staff-level agreement for a new USD1.3 billion arrangement under a climate resilience loan programme, along with the first review of Pakistan’s ongoing USD 7bn bailout programme.

As per Pakistan media, the IMF and Pakistan had reached a three-year, USD 7bn aid package deal in July 2024, with the new programme set to allow the country to “cement macroeconomic stability and create conditions for stronger, more inclusive and resilient growth.”

Congress’ appeal for opposing IMF assistance to Pakistan assumes significance against the backdrop of the government’s claim that the Pahalgam attack was carried out to “vitiate the atmosphere when the economy was on an upswing and tourism was booming.”

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had told reporters after the all-party meeting on Thursday that the Pahalgam attack was carried out to “vitiate the atmosphere when the economy was on an upswing and tourism was booming.”

Also, the Congress had on Thursday said the “cowardly Pahalgam attack masterminded by Pakistan is a direct assault on the values of our republic.”