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Pakistan has sought a $10 billion exchange stabilisation facility from the United States in a move aimed at strengthening its foreign exchange reserves and easing pressure on the country’s fragile economy, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The request, reported for the first time, comes after Pakistan’s diplomatic role in helping facilitate talks related to the recent Iran conflict, which has boosted Islamabad’s standing in Washington and raised expectations of closer economic cooperation with the United States.
According to the source, Pakistan has formally asked US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to establish a Bilateral Exchange Stabilisation Support Facility worth $10 billion, with a maturity period of up to five years.
If approved, the arrangement would provide a significant financial cushion for Pakistan, helping to stabilise the Pakistani rupee, strengthen the country’s foreign exchange reserves and reduce its dependence on multilateral lenders.
Pakistan has been grappling with persistent economic challenges, including high external debt, inflation and a shortage of foreign currency reserves. The country is currently implementing fiscal and monetary reforms under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability.
Officials believe the proposed US-backed facility would complement those reforms by improving investor confidence and providing additional liquidity without immediately increasing pressure on the country’s repayment obligations.
The request also reflects Islamabad’s efforts to leverage its recent diplomatic engagement over the Iran conflict into broader strategic and economic cooperation with Washington.
Neither the US Treasury Department nor the Pakistani government has publicly commented on the request, and there is no indication yet of whether Washington is considering the proposal.
If granted, the facility would mark one of the largest bilateral financial support arrangements between the two countries in recent years and could significantly enhance Pakistan’s ability to manage external financing pressures while pursuing economic reforms under the IMF programme.