| ‘No five cents’: Pakistan army chief in UAE seeking financial aid

ISLAMABAD: Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa arrived in Saudi Arabia and the UAE days after Pakistan sought US assistance to get $1.7 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to bail out of a dire financial crisis. Media reports say that the move of the Esenika chief is part of efforts to secure financial assistance to Pakistan, which is running out of money.

The next $1.2 billion tranche cannot be formally approved until the IMF’s executive board meets later this month.

According to the report, Pakistan will negotiate with close allies like Saudi Arabia, UAE and China to get the necessary financial assistance.

Last April, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif went to Saudi Arabia, but Riyadh did not give any assurances. The UAE was also not ready to provide financial assistance. It is in this context that reports are coming out that Yesenia has spoken to Saudi and UAE authorities for financial assistance.