WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (INP): US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Pakistan’s request for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package will be closely examined as “part of the reason that Pakistan found itself in this situation is Chinese debt”. “I think part of the reason that Pakistan found itself in this situation is Chinese debt and the fact that there is debt that governments have incurred that they may be thought wouldn’t be so tough to bail themselves out of, but has become increasingly tough.” Nauert identified loans Pakistan has taken from China to fund the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as the reason for its current financial trouble while speaking to media during a state department press briefing. The spokesperson was responding to a reporter’s question about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s previous reservations on bailout packages for Pakistan. Earlier in the year, Pompeo had warned any IMF bailout packages given to Pakistan should not be used to pay off Chinese debts. After a visit to the country in September, however, he had eased his stance and assured Pakistan that Washington would not try to block any requests to the IMF for a bailout. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde on Thursday announced that she would send a mission to Pakistan for bailout negotiations amid emphasis on full disclosure of the debt Pakistan has acquired including from China. [timed-content-server show="10/13/2018 23:55 Asia/Karachi"]The IMF issued a statement after Lagarde met with Finance Minister Asad Umar in Indonesia on the sidelines of IMF-World Bank annual meetings. During the meeting, financial assistance was requested from the IMF to help address Pakistan’s economic challenges, she said. “An IMF team will visit Islamabad in the coming weeks to initiate discussions for a possible IMF-supported economic programme,” Lagarde said, adding that the Fund was looking forward to a continuing partnership. After failing to find alternative sources to bridge a $10-billion financing gap in the current fiscal year, Umar on Monday announced that Pakistan would approach the IMF for a bailout package – the second in the past five years. Both Pakistan and the IMF have already covered significant ground during a week-long staff-level visit of an IMF team to Pakistan that ended last week. However, some thorny issues remained to be addressed including the extent of new measures and disclosure of details of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.[/timed-content-server] INP/AJ