KARACHI: After the addition of IMF inflows, the foreign exchange reserves of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) crossed $17 billion during the week ending May 15, the central bank announced on Thursday.

The SBP’s forex reserves rose by $1.214bn to $17.081bn during the week. The increase was mainly due to the receipt of funds from the IMF under the EFF and RSF, and proceeds from the issuance of Panda Bonds. “There were some external debt repayments as well,” said the SBP.

The country’s overall foreign reserves surged to $22.588bn, including $5.507bn held by commercial banks during the week.­­

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2026