Pakistan to assume chairmanship of IMF, World Bank boards in 2027

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group (WBG) have announced that Pakistan will assume the chairmanship of their respective Boards of Governors in 2027, the Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed on Friday. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, who also serves as Pakistan's governor to the World Bank, was officially named the incoming chair during the plenary session of the 2026 WBG-IMF Annual Meetings in Bangkok.

This marks the first time Pakistan will chair the boards since 1953 and is being hailed as a historic milestone. The 2026 WBG-IMF Annual Meetings, held from October 12 to 18, gathered over 15,000 participants from 191 countries to discuss global economic issues. Upon being briefed by the WBG Corporate Secretariat and meeting with WBG Vice President Aradhana Kumar-Capoor, Cheema emphasized Pakistan's commitment to enhancing the voice of developing countries, promoting effective development financing, and fostering constructive dialogue among member countries.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who is also attending the meetings, is leading Pakistan's delegation and engaging with international financial institutions, finance ministers, policymakers, and investors. Pakistan currently has active engagements with the IMF under an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and a Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), which were recently reviewed and approved to release about $1.2 billion in funds.