<p>Pakistan has to accept unwillingly the strict conditions of a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday.</p>.<p>He was speaking to top security officials meeting at his office in Islamabad.</p>.<p>"We have to accept unwillingly the strict conditions for the IMF deal," he said, adding that he hoped the deal would be sealed soon.</p>.<p>Pakistani authorities have been negotiating with the IMF since early February over policy framework issues and are hoping to sign a staff-level agreement that will pave the way for more inflows from other bilateral and multilateral lenders.</p>.<p>Once the deal is signed, the lender will issue over a $1 billion tranche from the $6.5 billion bailout agreed upon in 2019.</p>.<p>The South Asian economy has been in turmoil, and desperately needs external financing with its foreign exchange reserves dipping to around $3 billion, barely enough for three weeks' worth of imports.</p>.<p>A "friendly country" is also waiting for the deal to be confirmed before extending support to Pakistan, Sharif said, without elaborating.</p>.<p>Longtime ally China this week announced refinancing of $700 million, according to Pakistan's finance ministry. (Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)</p>
<p>Pakistan has to accept unwillingly the strict conditions of a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday.</p>.<p>He was speaking to top security officials meeting at his office in Islamabad.</p>.<p>"We have to accept unwillingly the strict conditions for the IMF deal," he said, adding that he hoped the deal would be sealed soon.</p>.<p>Pakistani authorities have been negotiating with the IMF since early February over policy framework issues and are hoping to sign a staff-level agreement that will pave the way for more inflows from other bilateral and multilateral lenders.</p>.<p>Once the deal is signed, the lender will issue over a $1 billion tranche from the $6.5 billion bailout agreed upon in 2019.</p>.<p>The South Asian economy has been in turmoil, and desperately needs external financing with its foreign exchange reserves dipping to around $3 billion, barely enough for three weeks' worth of imports.</p>.<p>A "friendly country" is also waiting for the deal to be confirmed before extending support to Pakistan, Sharif said, without elaborating.</p>.<p>Longtime ally China this week announced refinancing of $700 million, according to Pakistan's finance ministry. (Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Writing by Sakshi Dayal; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)</p>