• PM Shehbaz due to meet IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva soon.
• He thanks China, S Arabia, UAE for their support in IMF deal.
• Felicitates Erdogan on fiery Palestine-focused UNGA speech.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday confirmed that the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was in the final stages of approval as Pakistan had accepted all its conditions — some of them being quite tough.

"There is an IMF board meeting tomorrow. We have fulfilled all their conditions which were very strict," the prime minister told reporters in response to a question, after attending the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Tuesday.

In this regard, the premier profusely thanked China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying that "without their support this would not have been possible."

He revealed that some of the global lender's conditions were related to China, who, once again, "held hands and cooperated" with Pakistan just as it had done the past.

He is due to meet IMF Chief Kristalina Georgieva soon.

According to sources within the Ministry of Finance, the IMF exceutive board will hold a meeting today wherein approval of Pakistan's loan is expected. 

The premier said his government had accepted the economic challenge to the country and now, with collective efforts of the government and all institutions, it has overcome those challenges.

"Economic indicators are gradually improving with hard work, day and night", the PM added.

PM congratulates Erdogan

Additionally, PM Shehbaz met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated him on his passionate address to the 79th session of the UNGA that centred on the Palestinian crisis.

"The way the Turkish President highlighted the issue touched the hearts of all those listening to him in the Assembly hall," he told reporters after meeting with the Turkish leader on the sidelines of the Assembly's 79th session.

In his emotional address, Erdogan said that the values of the United Nations' system and the Western world are dying in Gaza as the conflict continues there, calling for an "alliance of humanity" to stop Israel's aggression.

The Turkish leader strongly criticised Israel over its military campaign in the Gaza Strip and on the Western countries for their support to Israel.

"Along with children in Gaza, the United Nations system is also dying, the truth is dying, the values that the West claims to defend are dying, the hopes of humanity to live in a fairer world are dying one by one," Erdogan added.

PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan and Turkey share "brotherly relations" and that President Erdogan "would soon pay a visit to Pakistan."