Fri May 09 17:10:00 UTC 2025: ## India Abstains from IMF Bailout Vote for Pakistan, Citing Terror Concerns and Poor Financial Record
**NEW DELHI** – India abstained from voting on a $1.3 billion IMF bailout package for Pakistan, citing Islamabad’s “poor record” in utilizing financial assistance and concerns over the potential misuse of funds to support terrorism. The decision comes amid heightened tensions between the two nations, following India’s recent military operation targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to a deadly April 22 attack in Pulwama that killed 26 civilians.
India voiced concerns at a May 9th IMF board meeting in Washington D.C., highlighting Pakistan’s repeated failure to meet IMF conditions. The country referenced an IMF report stating that repeated bailouts have made Pakistan a “too-big-to-fail” borrower and suggesting that political considerations influence aid decisions.
Furthermore, India reiterated that financial assistance to Pakistan indirectly aids its intelligence agencies and terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, groups responsible for attacks on India. The abstention is seen as a message to the IMF and other multilateral financial institutions that providing financial aid without concrete steps to address these issues could pose regional security risks. With Pakistan’s economy heavily reliant on IMF assistance, India’s move adds another layer of diplomatic pressure on the already struggling nation.
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