Commerce Minister Engineer Khurram Dastagir Khan made a strong case for greater trade access for Pakistani products to the large US market, as he emphasised Islamabad’s policy to bolster the national economy through expansion in trade instead of reliance on aid.
Speaking to a gathering of American experts at a Washington think tank, he said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government was pursuing a policy of economic diplomacy and instead of aid, grants or handouts wanted to foster normal trade relations with countries.
“Trade more – if I were to say in two words” the way Islamabad wants to further enhance Pakistan-US relations,” he said at the Atlantic Council discussion attended by experts, academia and businessmen and moderated by South Asia Director Shuja Nawaz.
The minister, accompanied by Commerce Secretary Shahzad Arbab and Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani, held extensive discussions with US Trade Representative Michael Froman on Tuesday, noted that the US administration is supportive of better access for Pakistani products to the American market.
He said the Joint Action Plan on trade and investment cooperation unveiled the meeting of Pakistan-US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement Council would turn a new leaf in the bilateral relationship.
While emphasizing the importance of preferential trade access, Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan cited the example of European Union’s recent award of GSP Plus scheme for Pakistan for ten years.
The GSP Plus scheme is significant in a historic way, it is not a quid pro quo for – Pakistan went through a process, fulfilled the requirements, conducted economic diplomacy and the EU Parliament took the necessary action to approve the deal, he said.
These trade concessions or preferences are an incentive, not a reward – these would help Pakistan improve its economic performance and as democracy live up to expectation to provide better quality of life to its people through creation of new jobs and economic activity, he explained.
“We are now looking very much to the US if it can emulate the EU example,” he said.
