Once again, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a dependable ally of Pakistan, helped the financially stressed country get through a trying period by providing assurances to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission over the external finance gap in the nation. The development reportedly occurred during a meeting between the head of the IMF mission and the UAE ambassador in Pakistan on Tuesday. The meeting was held in conjunction with ongoing policy-level discussions between Islamabad and the international lender regarding the first review of the $3 billion standby arrangement (SBA). The UAE envoy and the IMF delegation met to confirm Pakistan’s access to outside funding. As per reliable sources, the discussion covered topics like Pakistan’s $6.5 billion external finance shortfall and other related matters.