Overview
- Pakistan’s finance minister met U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and submitted the request during talks on Tuesday to secure a bilateral exchange stabilisation support facility.
- Multiple reports say the proposal seeks roughly $10 billion with up to five years maturity, but the U.S. Treasury has declined to confirm the amount and Pakistan’s official readout did not state the dollar figure.
- The facility is intended to bolster foreign exchange reserves, support the Pakistani rupee, and reduce reliance on multilateral and emergency bilateral financing while Pakistan continues IMF‑mandated reforms.
- The instrument would be administered through the U.S. Exchange Stabilization Fund and can take the form of dollar funding, swaps or guarantees; similar U.S. support has been provided to Argentina in 2025 and Uruguay in 2002.
- If approved, the backstop could send a strong political signal, attract U.S. development and export financing for projects, and ease import and price pressure for Pakistani households, but any decision rests with U.S. authorities and remains pending.