Senate Standing Committee, Foreign Affairs, Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan was informed on Thursday that Pakistan and India are moving from a positive to a negative list regime which after approval of Cabinet would be gradually phased out by end of this year. In a briefing to the Committee, chaired by Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel, Secretary Commerce, Munir Qureshi said Pakistan and India have made substantive progress in economic and trade relations. The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Malik Imad Khan, Senators Farhatullah Babar, Muhammad Jehangir Badar, Muzafar Hussain Shah, Syeda Sughra Imam, Secretary Foreign Affairs, Jalil Abbas Jilani and and Representatives of concerned Ministries. Munir Qureshi said the visit of Commerce Ministers from both sides paved the way for normalization of bilateral trade relations and added Pakistan’s agreement in principle to grant MFN status to india was a decision taken in the same spirit. The Secretary said first meeting under the 3rd round of resumed dialogue was that of Commerce Secretaries of the two countries, held in Islamabad.
He said the two sides discussed at length measures to facilitate and encourage business to business contacts.
