'Line of beggars begins wherever Pakistan stands': India's defence minister slams Pak for IMF bailouts amid crippling economy

After three weeks of the India-Pakistan conflict, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday (May 15) sharply criticised Pakistan and its crippling economy, saying that the line of beggars begins wherever Pakistan stands.

During a speech in Jammu and Kashmir, India's defence minister slammed Pakistan for asking money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"What can I say about Pakistan," Rajnath Singh said. "After begging and begging, that country is in such a position that you can say that the line of beggars begins wherever Pakistan stands."

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This comes right after the IMF's fresh disbursement of $1.023 billion to Pakistan under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), raising the total disbursed amount under the current programme to approximately $2.1 billion.

Singh continued to bash Pakistan, saying, "You must have heard, they once again went to the International Monetary Fund to ask for money, while India is among those countries that fund the IMF to help poor countries."

The decision by the IMF to release funds came despite India raising objections to it, stating that the funds could be misused for state-sponsored cross-border terrorism. New Delhi abstained from voting at the crucial meeting just a few days after it launched Operation Sindoor.

India raised concerns about the efficacy of the IMF programmes regarding Pakistan and cited its poor track record. The Ministry of Finance said in a statement, "Pakistan has been a prolonged borrower from the IMF, with a very poor track record of implementation and of adherence to the IMF's program conditions."