On May 9, actor and political activist Gul Panag delivered a sharp rebuttal on social media, responding to a Pakistani journalist’s take on international financial aid. The exchange unfolded after journalist Shahbaz Rana claimed that the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) approval of a $1 billion loan tranche to Pakistan was somehow a diplomatic blow to India.

Panag responded with her trademark wit and clarity, dismantling the claim in a single post. “Sir, congratulations on another loan,” she wrote. “With respect, we don’t need that money. You do. FYI, we have not taken any financial assistance from the IMF since 1993. Repayments of all the loans taken from the International Monetary Fund were completed on 31 May, 2000.”

The IMF loan in question is part of a broader package intended to stabilize Pakistan’s struggling economy. With the release of this second tranche, the total disbursement under the program has now reached approximately $2.1 billion, according to IMF sources.

India, meanwhile, has consistently opposed the IMF’s decision to continue lending to Pakistan, arguing that such aid undermines global institutions—particularly when the recipient nation is accused of supporting cross-border terrorism. New Delhi maintains that financing regimes that fail to curb terrorism damages the integrity of the international financial order.

The political sparring comes at a time of heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. In response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Army recently launched “Operation Sindoor,” targeting multiple terrorist camps inside Pakistan. Between May 8 and 9, Indian forces also thwarted several drone incursions across the Line of Control using advanced systems like the Akash missile defense and C-UAS platforms.