Karachi: Pakistan’s total liquid foreign exchange reserves rose to USD 15.614 billion during the week ending May 9, reflecting a USD 131 million increase, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday.
The SBP’s own reserves increased by USD 71 million, reaching $10.403 billion. Commercial banks also recorded an uptick, with their reserves rising by $61 million to $5.211 billion.
The central bank further announced that on May 13, it received the second tranche of SDR 760 million (approximately USD 1.023 billion) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme. However, the disbursement will be reflected in next week’s reserve data ending May 16.
The latest IMF inflow offers critical support for Pakistan’s external sector, helping to shore up the country’s foreign exchange buffer and improve investor confidence. The SBP has projected a surplus in the current account for the full fiscal year 2025 and anticipates that its reserves could increase to around USD 14 billion by the end of June 2025.
The growing reserves are expected to contribute to exchange rate stability and support the government’s broader economic reform efforts under the IMF programme.
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