Dr. Shahid Hassan Siddiqui (Economist): It is indeed very sad and shameful that some people are criticizing the state of Pakistan in order to achieve their political interests. Everybody understands that Pakistan is not going to default as it is capable enough to repay all its liabilities. The actual problem started on Feb 28th, 2022 when the former Prime Minister Imran Khan violated the written agreement with the IMF due to which the IMF program was suspended. The incumbent government after coming into power worked day and night to resume the bailout package. The Finance Minister has assured that no financial emergency is going to be imposed in the country. Pakistan is situated at an important geographical location with two big economies in the neighbourhood. The Finance Minister has also called upon the ambassadors of the US and the United Kingdom to play their role in convincing the IMF to release the bailout package as these two are the important stakeholders. Once the IMF package is released, the friendly countries including China, Saudi Arabia and UAE will give us the deposit facility that will be helpful in bringing Pakistan out of the economic crisis. 

Dr. Ghulam Samad (Economist): We need to understand that rumours around default of Pakistan can create uncertainty in the market. Currently, the financial situation is stable but there are some challenges as well. In my opinion, there is no worrisome situation but we need to be cognizant as we are facing the economic issues. There is an economic recession across the globe at this point of time. The inflation in the United States is hovering around 8% while the unemployment stands at 10%. Moreover, the entire Europe is facing an economic slowdown. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is making the situation even worse. All the stakeholders must sit together in order to formulate comprehensive economic policies and there must be continuity in these policies.