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KARACHI: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb arrived in Washington on Sunday to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, where he will hold a series of high-level talks on investment, taxation and economic reforms, the Ministry of Finance said.

The visit comes as Pakistan engages with the International Monetary Fund to unlock the next tranche of its $7 billion loan program approved in September 2024, aimed at supporting economic stabilization and structural reforms. 

According to the statement, the finance minister will attend more than 65 events, meetings and roundtables during his visit, including two key sessions hosted by the World Economic Forum (WEF), and will outline Pakistan’s economic priorities and investment opportunities to international partners.

“Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will represent Pakistan at the plenary meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund,” the ministry said in a statement.

“He will meet IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and other senior officials of international financial institutions during his visit to the United States.”

At the IMF’s Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan (MENAP) platform, Aurangzeb will meet Georgieva and deliver a keynote address on Pakistan’s economic outlook and reform agenda.

The finance minister will also take part in a regional roundtable on the digital transformation of Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), alongside tax authorities from other countries.

During his six-day visit, Aurangzeb is scheduled to meet his counterparts from China, the United Kingdom, ��������, Türkiye and Azerbaijan. His engagements also include meetings with senior officials at the White House, the US Treasury Department, the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and the US Pakistan Business Council.

He is also expected to meet representatives of global credit-rating agencies, commercial banks, including Middle Eastern investment banks, and major U.S. think tanks such as the Atlantic Council and the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Sunday urged the religious-political Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party to call off or postpone its protest march toward Islamabad, saying the country needed national unity as its military confronted heightened security challenges along the Afghan border.

The march, which began in the eastern city of Lahore earlier this week, has advanced to the town of Muridke, about 33 kilometers away, as TLP supporters vow to continue toward the capital. The group says it plans to stage a demonstration outside the US embassy to express solidarity with Palestinians.

On Sunday, authorities partially reopened key highways and restored mobile Internet in parts of Islamabad and the adjoining city of Rawalpindi after days of restrictions. However, several major intersections, including Faizabad, remained closed for a third consecutive day.

The TLP’s protest march is taking place amid an unprecedented escalation of hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital, Kabul, and a market in the country’s east. Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the assault. On Sunday, the Afghan Taliban said they had killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations in response to what it said were repeated violations of its territory and airspace. Pakistan’s army has confirmed 23 of its soldiers were killed and 29 wounded.

“At this critical time, when Pakistan is focused on safeguarding its borders and avenging the blood of its brave martyrs, the TLP should cancel or postpone its protest in the name of the martyrs,” Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, told reporters in Islamabad.

He said the Gaza issue, which the march was meant to highlight, was already nearing diplomatic resolution, referring to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that held in Gaza for a third day on Sunday.

“This march should instead have been carried as an expression of solidarity with the government of Pakistan for its efforts [in securing Gaza peace] which are being recognized by the whole world,” Sanaullah said.

Defying the government’s appeal, TLP spokesperson Rehan Khan told Arab News the group would press on if talks with officials failed to reach a settlement.

“We would proceed with the march as planned if negotiations failed to produce any result,” he said.

He said the government had not made contact with TLP since talks were last held on Saturday. 

“TLP is still waiting for the government to resume talks, but the lack of communication from them is extremely concerning,” Khan said. “Even before the start of the march, there was no contact made with TLP, and as soon as the dialogue process began, the party halted its march at Muridke.”

Khan said more than 15 of the group’s supporters had been killed and over 70 critically injured since the march began. The figures could not been independently verified, and both the federal and Punjab provincial governments have yet to comment on the reported casualties.

Police in Punjab province meanwhile say nearly 100 personnel were injured in clashes with TLP supporters as the group attempted to move toward the capital from Lahore and other cities.

Islamabad Police spokesperson Taqi Jawad told Arab News some roads in the capital had been reopened on Sunday while others remained closed for security reasons. 

“A few roads have been fully reopened, while others remain partially open. Only key points are completely blocked,” he said.

The TLP, a religious political party founded in 2015, has gained notoriety for large-scale street demonstrations that often turn violent. It has staged several sit-ins in Islamabad since its rise to prominence, mobilizing tens of thousands of followers on issues related to the blasphemy laws and foreign policy.