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Donor agencies will be active after Clinton's visit

Recorder Report

ISLAMABAD: Several new programmes of ADB like that of the World Bank and IMF hinge on the outcome of President Clinton's upcoming visit.

Though apparently there is no direct link between CTBT and the assistance of the multilateral agencies to Pakistan, observers do not perceive it a mere co-incidence that these agencies would be active after the visit of the US President.

The upcoming developments on foreign assistance are: First, the IMF mission would arrive in Pakistan towards the end of March or early April. By that time, the world's mightiest power would know where Pakistan stands in regard to certain priorities of US agenda.

Secondly, the Asian Development Bank, which was to send Country Assistance Programme mission to Pakistan in March, has been delayed because the Board which was due to meet on March 10 will now meet on March 24. The mission is now scheduled to come to Pakistan on April 3.

And it may be no coincidence that major donor envoys meeting to endorse the country's Poverty Reduction and Growth Programme will be held from April 3 to 7. This is going to be Pakistan's major effort to put the country's economy on a positive recovery and growth path with assistance from the donors community. In this context, it is learnt that ADB is working out with the government a poverty reduction strategy. Its first draft has been prepared.

The donor envoys' meeting will also review the ongoing SAP 11 programme, it is learnt.

Japan, it may be added, has made several public pronouncements that Pakistan would be compensated for the lack of economic assistance since May 98 nuclear explosions if the country signed CTBT.

Donors' sources also indicated that following sanctions imposed on Pakistan, there have been very few high profile visits from the multilateral agencies. For instance, there has been no visit by World Bank vice- president or even of ADB for more than two years ago.