Finance Minister Ishaq Dar met the US Treasury delegation on Wednesday. Dawn quoted sources as saying that he told them that Pakistan would honor its international commitments and was in the process of taking “very tough decisions” such as increasing the prices of natural gas and electricity.
“However, he said that Pakistan needs to take a breather as industry and agriculture have gone through one of the most challenging times after the devastating floods,” the Pakistani English-language newspaper reported.
The finance ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last year’s fierce floods inundated many parts of the country, killed at least 1,700 people, and damaged its already strained economy.
The reconstruction cost was estimated at $16.3 billion and this month international donors pledged to finance more than half of it.