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ISLAMABAD: Bailout talks between Pakistan and a visiting International Monetary Fund delegation start Wednesday.
Finance Minister Asad Umar formally requested help during a meeting with IMF chief Christine Lagarde in Bali last month.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government secured an electoral victory in July but immediately faced a massive current account deficit and balance of payment crisis.
His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party opted for external borrowing, even though it had criticized previous administrations for taking this route and had emphasised greater economic self-sufficiency for Pakistan.
Umar raised the possibility of seeking the biggest IMF loan in the country’s history, while Khan said his government was trying to save the economy through cash injections from friendly nations. 
Khan’s visit to ally ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ yielded a $6 billion relief package. 
He went to a trade fair in Shanghai earlier this month to seek support from China, which has already invested tens of billions of dollars in Pakistan. 
Pakistan still needs a bailout, despite the extra funding, and the IMF has asked for details of the country’s financial obligations to China.