Pakistan has achieved a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its second loan review, with the board expected to approve the next tranche in early December, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday. Speaking at the ninth Future Summit in Karachi, he underlined the government’s shift toward an investment-driven economic model, led primarily by the private sector.

Aurangzeb said investor confidence was strengthening, adding, “Our direction is right.” He confirmed that Google had decided to open an office in Pakistan and was considering the country as an export hub. A blockchain centre has also been established at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) as part of a broader focus on emerging technologies.

The minister said fiscal refor

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