ISLAMABAD: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde is set to visit Pakistan in October, the first such visit by an IMF head in several years.

Well-placed sources in the Finance Ministry told DawnNews that Lagarde was expected to visit near the end of October.

Confirmation of Lagarde's visit comes weeks after the international lender cleared payment to Pakistan of a final $102 million tranche in a $6.4 billion three-year programme.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday chaired a meeting reviewing preparations for an upcoming CAREC ministerial conference to be held in October in Islamabad, as well as visits by Lagarde and Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao.

Transport, energy, trade facilitation, and trade policy are priority areas that may be discussed at the 10-member CAREC forum.

Six multilateral institutions, including the ADB, IMF, United Nations Development Program, World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, will also be participating at the event.

The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Finance Division and Economic Affairs Division.