Trader’s Guide to Pakistan Elections Ahead of Crucial IMF Deal

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(Bloomberg) — Pakistan is gearing up for two key events in quick succession: a general election and the expiry of an International Monetary Fund bailout program. The election winner will be tasked with striking a new deal with the IMF, which investors say is crucial to the nation’s outlook.

The country heads to the polls to elect a new premier Feb. 8, while the IMF’s current rescue package ends in March, just before $1 billion in dollar bonds come due the following month. Pakistan’s finances will collapse without a new funding agreement, according to all 12 respondents to a Bloomberg survey.