The US State Department announced on Tuesday that Acting Deputy Secretary US Victoria Nuland congratulated Pakistan’s caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani. The two diplomats held discussions on the importance of timely, free and fair elections in Pakistan, as well as expanding bilateral cooperation. Another topic of conversation was Pakistan’s economic stability and its ongoing engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In mid-August, Pakistan appointed a caretaker cabinet led by interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar. The cabinet’s main responsibility will be to guide the country towards economic stabilization. Pakistan’s $350 billion economy is on a fragile path to recovery following a last-minute $3 billion bailout deal from the IMF, which prevented a sovereign debt default.
The election commission has announced that new constituencies, based on the latest census, will be finalized by December 14. After this, the commission will confirm a date for the elections.