Pakistans har en økonomisk krise som er galopperende. Landet trenger umiddelbart tilførsel av frisk kapital for å holde seg flytende. Det står om troverdigheten til statsobligasjoner som er notert i dollar. Det er tvil om Pakistan vil kunne betjene dem.

Men Pakistan har problemer med å bli hørt. Andre nasjoner har nok med sine egne problemer.

Pakistan requires an immediate commitment of at least $2 billion to restore confidence in the country after an alarming slump in its foreign reserves, economists say. Up to $8 billion more will be needed to repay sovereign debts due to mature in 2009, they say.

President Asif Ali Zardari returned Friday from neighboring China with a promise of assistance from an «all-weather friend,» but no specific public commitment.

Pakistani finance officials have also visited Washington and Middle Eastern capitals in search of funds.

«Countries are busy with their own housekeeping, but they will not leave Pakistan in the middle of the road,» said Muzammil Aslam, chief economist at the Pakistani security firm KASB. «It is the world’s first line of defense against Taliban and al-Qaida.»

Others are not so sure. Some predict Pakistan will have to seek assistance from the International Monetary Fund, a last resort given that such help is often conditioned on the politically unpopular economic medicine of even deeper cuts in public spending.

Pervez Musharraf begynte en vanlig praksis: subsidierte matvarer for å kjøpe seg popularitet. I takt med stigende matvarepriser, sank valutabeholdningen. På bare en uke sank den med 1 milliard dollar.

Pakistan seeks cash amid financial crunch