Pakistan Names IMF Economist as Central Bank Head Amid Bailout
- Baqir appointed shortly after Bajwa was fired as governor
- Accelerating inflation is among biggest challenges Baqir faces
Photographer: Asim Hafeez/Bloomberg
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Pakistan appointed International Monetary Fund economist Reza Baqir as its central bank governor amid sweeping changes across the nation’s key finance and economic posts as the government negotiates for a crucial bailout from the global fund.
Baqir was appointed to run the State Bank of Pakistan for a three-year term shortly after former governor Tariq Bajwa and Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan were fired because of their “performance,” according to Firdous Ashiq Awan, a special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan. Finance Minister Asad Umar was also asked to resign two weeks ago.