Pakistan seeks rescheduling of $27 billion bilateral debt-finance minister
FILE PHOTO: Pakistan's Finance Minister Ishaq Dar gestures during a news conference to announce the economic survey of fiscal year 2016-2017, in Islamabad, Pakistan, May 25, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood
WASHINGTON : Pakistan's new finance minister, Ishaq Dar, told Reuters on Friday that he will seek rescheduling of some $27 billion worth of non-Paris Club debt largely owed to China, but will not pursue haircuts as part of any restructuring.
In an interview, Dar ruled out the possibility of a default on Pakistan's debt, an extension of the maturity date on bonds due in December or a renegotiation of Pakistan's current International Monetary Fund program.
The veteran finance minister said multilateral development banks and international donors have been "quite flexible" in meeting Pakistan's external financing needs after devastating floods, which caused an estimated $32 billion in damages.
