LONDON: Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has arrived in London on Wednesday on an official tour to Britain. He will meet his UK counterpart and other senior military officials.
He will also attend Passing Out Parade as Special Guest at Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Itinerary of his official is yet to reveal. His talks with British officials will cover the bilateral and international affairs particularly
between the two countries. He is nowadays on the mission to avail the financial support for his country,
It may be recalled that Gen Bajwa had earlier appealed to the US for an early dispersal of $1.2 billion in IMF funds. Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has spoken with the authorities of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The International Monetary Fund loan programme reportedly came under discussion and positive development is expected for Pakistan soon.
It comes days after Nikkei Asia reported that Gen Bajwa appealed to the United States to help Islamabad secure an early dispersal of $1.2 billion in funds under the IMF programme to avert the risk of debt default.
According to the report, the army chief reached out to the US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on a phone call, sources from both US and Pakistan revealed to the publication’s correspondent Wajahat S Khan, on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly.
The sources revealed that Gen Bajwa requested the White House and Treasury Department to urge the lender to expedite the bailout process and immediately release the nearly $1.2 billion that Pakistan expects to receive under the resumed loan programme.
Pakistan and the IMF reached a staff-level agreement over the release of the funds to support the country’s fragile economy. The staff-level agreement will pave the way for the $1.2 billion disbursement, which is expected this month after the board approves it.
In a related development, Pakistan has completed the last precondition for the combined seventh and eighth reviews, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday, adding that a board meeting is tentatively scheduled for late August once adequate financing assurances are confirmed.
Esther Perez Ruiz, the IMF’s Resident Representative for Pakistan, confirmed the last prior action in a statement sent to the media.
Meeting with Iraqi commander
Meanwhile, before leaving for London, Gen Bajwa held a meeting with Lieutenant General Ahmed Jasim Maarij Abdullah Al Zayid, Commander Iraqi Navy at GHQ, Rawalpindi on Wednesday.
On the occasion, COAS Gen Bajwa said that Pakistan values its brotherly relationship with Iraq and acknowledged sacrifices rendered by Iraqi nation in fighting terrorism. The COAS also said that terrorism is a global threat, which has the potential of destabilising the region that needs a well-coordinated response.
During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security issues and measures to further enhance bilateral defence collaboration were discussed.
The Iraqi Naval chief acknowledged the professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and also offered his condolence on the loss of precious lives during helicopter crash in Balochistan. He appreciated Pakistan’s role in regional stability and also pledged to enhance military cooperation between the two forces.