Gul Panag takes a dig at Pakistan as they celebrate IMF loan

Mumbai, May 10 (IANS) Actress Gul Panag just handed Pakistan a masterclass in financial independence and subtly reminded them that “India has not taken any financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund since 1993.”

A Pakistani netizen on X, formerly called Twitter, wrote: “In a humiliating defeat for India, The IMF executive board has approved $1 billion second loan tranche. India unsuccessfully tried to block the approval by the IMF board.”

Giving a sharp rebuke cloaked in courtesy, Gul, whose father Lt. Gen. Panag was in the army, replied saying: “ Sir, congratulations on another loan. With respect, we don’t need that money. You do. FYI, We have not taken any financial assistance from the IMF since 1993. Repayments of all the loans taken from International Monetary Fund have been completed on 31 May, 2000. (https://dea.gov.in/sites/default/files/India_IMF_0.pdf… ) ”

She also shared a link, which mentioned: “India has not taken any financial assistance from the IMF since 1993.Repayments of all the loans taken from International Monetary Fund have been completed on 31 May, 2000.”

On May 9, India strongly opposed further financial assistance from the IMF to Pakistan at the executive board meeting held on Friday, expressing serious concerns over Islamabad’s track record and the fact that the bailouts were enabling the cash-strapped country to sponsor cross-border terrorism.

India abstained from voting on extending a fresh $1.3 billion IMF loan to Pakistan under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) lending program at the meeting.

Escalation followed India's launch of Operation Sindoor -- a series of focused and precise strikes on nine terror camps located in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) — in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.

Pakistan deployed between 300 and 400 drones, identified preliminarily as Turkish-made Asisguard Songar models, on the night of May 8 and May 9. Many were intercepted using a combination of kinetic and electronic warfare systems, including the Barak-8 and S-400 Triumph missile defence platforms, Akash SAMs, and indigenous anti-drone technologies.

Among the locations targeted were Srinagar airport, the Awantipora airbase, Nagrota, Jammu, Pathankot, Fazilka, and Jaisalmer.

--IANS

dc/