FACTBOX - Pakistan edges towards IMF assistance

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan's top economic adviser

believes the country has no alternative but to seek money from the International Monetary Fund to overcome a balance-of-payments crisis.

Pakistani officials have been in talks with the IMF in Dubai since last week and Shaukat Tarin, the prime minister's top economic adviser, told the Senate late on Wednesday the negotiations would be completed on Thursday.

WHAT DOES AN IMF PACKAGE TYPICALLY INVOLVE?

- An IMF package often involves cutting government spending, raising taxes, accelerating privatisation, increasing interest rates, and exchange rate flexibility to correct fiscal and external imbalances and control inflation.

HOW MUCH FOREIGN CURRENCY DOES PAKISTAN HAVE?

- Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves fell $400 million (241.7 million pounds) to $6.92 billion in the week that ended on October 25. The State Bank of Pakistan's reserves fell to $3.71 billion, less than September's imports, from $4.04 billion a week earlier. Reserves held by commercial banks were $3.21 billion compared with $3.28 billion.

- Imports totalled $3.8 billion in September, while exports were $1.78 billion, creating a trade deficit of $2.02 billion.

- In July-September, the current account deficit widened to $3.95 billion from $2.27 billion a year earlier. That's equivalent to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product.