The program is the result of years of poor policy choices that led to low productivity and unsustainable imbalance as i detailed in 2018.
There are 3 parts to evaluating the program, and all 3 must succeed.
Program starts with massive devaluation. This reduces imports, but unfortunately Pak’s exports are not much responsive. Thus most of the adjustment will be done through the most painful channel: contracting demand
Additional contraction comes from fiscal austerity.
So here's the Big Question for medium-term impact
e.g. austerity => ⬇️ output => ⬇️govt expenditure due to fiscal deficit rule => ⬇️ output, and so on.
OR
Super important to shut-off such negative feedback doom-loops. For this, program has to be transparent, credible, large enough, and most importantly contingent on future state of economy.
The question of debt roll-over must be addressed. Pakistan has 30B+ of foreign payments coming due in the next 24 months. These cannot be paid back, and need to be rolled over.
This is the hardest battle. Financial markets are forward-looking, driven by expectations. Will there be a credible change in the way country has been run? A change markets can believe in?