Pakistan has been selected to chair the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group in 2027, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema was named incoming chair at the institutions’ annual meetings in Bangkok on October 16, 2026. Pakistan last held the chairmanship in 1953.
What the chair does
The position involves presiding over proceedings and facilitating dialogue between member countries. It does not grant Pakistan additional voting rights, authority to approve loans or the power to change IMF programme conditions.
Priorities for 2027
The ministry said Pakistan hopes to advance discussion on predictable development finance, coordination among multilateral institutions and mobilising private investment. Cheema received a briefing on the role from the World Bank Group Corporate Secretariat.
The appointment offers visibility and a platform for diplomacy, not an automatic improvement in Pakistan’s own borrowing terms.
Sources: Ministry of Economic Affairs; Dawn explainer.