Petroleum Minister Asim Hussain on Tuesday said the country was willing to import diesel and jet fuel from rival India if the price is “right”. The statement by Asim Hussain is the latest sign of warming ties between the nuclear-armed neighbours who have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. “If the right prices are given, we have no problems importing (diesel and jet fuel),” Hussain said on the sidelines of a petrochemical conference in the Indian capital, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. India and Pakistan have been channeling their peace efforts into “trade diplomacy” in a bid to build enough trust to tackle thornier issues that divide them such as the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
While Pakistan has removed fuel imports from its list of goods that were banned from being imported from India, it allows import of diesel and jet fuel only by ship. India, which has refineries across the border, is keen to take the road route to reach fuel-short Pakistan. “I think a way could be found (to import via land) as import of (fuel) products is not banned,” Hussain said, adding that a team from India’s state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corp would soon visit Pakistan to discuss prices.
Pakistan ready to import fuel from India if ‘price right’
