Pakistan, March 3 -- Pakistan began formal talks with a visiting International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation on Monday as the country prepares for the next review of its $7 billion bailout program.

The IMF team is in Pakistan to conduct a review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) approved in September 2024, a multi-year program aimed at stabilizing the economy after a balance-of-payments crisis, high inflation and dwindling foreign exchange reserves. Pakistan has so far received roughly $3 billion of the EFF. Successful completion of the latest review could pave the way for the release of the next tranche of funds, subject to IMF board approval.

Separately in 2024, Pakistan also secured about $1.3 billion under the IMF's Resilienc...