Pakistan, ADB discuss panda bond support, supply chain challenges

April 16, 2026 (MLN):  Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have reaffirmed their bilateral cooperation, with both sides exchanging views on credit enhancement for Pakistan's inaugural Panda Bond, the recently signed Country Partnership Strategy, the successful Staff-Level Agreement with the IMF, and concerns over disruptions to fertilizer supply chains and their potential impact on agricultural output.

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, met with ADB President Masato Kanda on the sidelines of the World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., where the two sides held wide-ranging discussions on economic cooperation and emerging challenges, according to a press release issued.

The Finance Minister briefed President Kanda on the conclusion of the Staff-Level Agreement with the IMF for the third review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), expressing confidence in a positive outcome at the Executive Board level.

On the ongoing economic crisis, the Finance Minister described it as a significant supply shock and outlined Pakistan's policy response, including measures on fuel availability, pricing, logistics, targeted subsidies, and demand-side management, while noting that second and third-order impacts are being assessed in coordination with the State Bank of Pakistan.

The Finance Minister, on behalf of the Prime Minister, also extended a formal invitation to President Kanda to visit Pakistan.

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