Pakistan urges IsDB to turn $5.6bn envelope into project pipeline

October 16, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan has urged the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group to convert the roughly US$5.6 bn in indicative financing planned under the Member Country Partnership Strategy (MCPS) 2026–2030 into a concrete pipeline of well-prepared projects, with clear timelines for financing approvals, disbursements and implementation.

Islamabad also sought stronger IsDB backing for the ML-1 Railway Upgradation Project and more competitive terms on future trade financing facilities, as both sides agreed on a results-oriented partnership focused on transformational investments and measurable outcomes.

The matter was discussed when Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema met IsDB Group Chairman Dr Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasser on the sidelines of the 2026 World Bank Group–IMF Annual Meetings in Bangkok, said a press release issued.

Ahad Cheema congratulated Dr Al Jasser on his re-election for a second five-year term and expressed Pakistan’s confidence in his leadership.

The minister welcomed the IsDB’s US$475 mn financing for the M-6 Sukkur–Hyderabad Motorway and its continued support for polio eradication, including the recent approval of US$100 mn for Phase V.

He described ML-1 as strategically important for modernizing the railway network, improving connectivity and boosting economic competitiveness, and urged close coordination with the Asian Development Bank and other co-financiers to advance project preparation and speed up implementation.

Ahad Cheema also called for a coordinated, whole-of-Group approach involving IsDB, ITFC, ICD, ICIEC and the IsDB Institute to widen opportunities in export finance, SMEs, infrastructure, public-private partnerships and energy transition.

He pointed to over US$1 bn in trade financing mobilized through ITFC during FY2025–26 and sought better terms for future facilities, citing Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic and credit profile.

Dr Al Jasser praised the government’s ambitious economic development vision and reaffirmed the IsDB Group’s commitment to help Pakistan achieve its development priorities.

Copyright Mettis Link News