Pakistan, World Bank Agree to Deepen Cooperation

Pakistan and the World Bank have agreed to deepen cooperation to advance shared priorities under the Country Partnership Framework (CPF). The commitment came in a meeting in Bangkok between Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Pakistan’s Governor to the World Bank Group, and Anna Bjerde, the World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations, on the sidelines of the 2026 World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings. The discussion focused on implementing Pakistan’s CPF for 2026-2035.

What Cheema Highlighted

• The government’s resolve to turn the CPF’s objectives into tangible development outcomes, with more technical and financial support, integrated multisectoral programmes and digital monitoring systems to track progress.

• Stronger project preparedness through dedicated Project Readiness Facilities, predictable financing and better implementation support to speed up approvals and execution.

• The Prime Minister’s whole-of-government initiative to address bottlenecks in project planning and implementation.

• Efficient use of concessional resources to maximise development impact while safeguarding debt sustainability.

• Investment in sectors with high job-creation potential to promote inclusive growth.

• Stronger support for the ML-1 Railway Upgradation Project and the vision of an Economic Railway Corridor along the roughly 1,800-km line, along with the proposed Minerals Compact.

World Bank Support

Discussions also covered the World Bank Group’s support for human development, climate resilience, water and sanitation, and economic transformation. Bjerde reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s priority sectors and working with the government to strengthen operational efficiency and speed up project delivery. Both sides agreed to ensure that development financing translates into timely, sustainable and measurable benefits for the people of Pakistan.