Pakistan, July 16 -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed reservations over Pakistan's decision to offer tax exemptions and subsidies on imported sugar, warning that such measures could jeopardize the ongoing $7 billion loan program, source said on Tuesday.

According to official sources, the IMF has opposed the government's plan to provide a subsidy of Rs55 per kilogram on imported sugar, which is expected to arrive in Pakistan at a cost of Rs249 per kg.

The international lender has also rejected the Pakistan government's justification that the import falls under "food emergency" measures.

A key concern raised by the IMF is that a significant portion of the imported sugar is likely to be consumed by industrial users rath...