Pakistan has decided in principle to grant Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar informed the National Assembly on Wednesday. She was responding to a supplementary question during the Question-Answer Hour in the Lower House of parliament. Hina said Pakistan wanted that the dialogue process with India be uninterrupted and uninterruptible. “At present the environment for dialogue process, restarted after a gap of two years, is very much conducive and we want consistent and incremental movement towards the resolution of all issues between the two countries,” Hina said, adding that Pakistan had decided to grant MFN status to India and India had promised not to block Pakistan’s trade with the European Union.
“The top-most priority of the country is to ensure uninterrupted and uninterruptible dialogue with India so that the resolution of core issue of Kashmir can be ensured. There are a number of achievements regarding relations with India. We have achieved ground on trade with India,” the minister said. Citing example of the claimed conducive environment, the foreign minister said the Indian foreign minister for the first time in history had attended a reception hosted by the Pakistani foreign minister in New York. Pakistan and India are negotiating opening up bilateral trade. The main impediment in the opening up
of trade is the non-tariff barriers (NBT) imposed by India on Pakistani products even though it had granted MFN status to Pakistan in 1999.
Islamabad reciprocated NBTs by withholding MFN status to New Delhi, but maintains a positive list for trade with the neighbour. During the recent trade ministers’ talks, it was decided that both countries will jointly work to more than double their bilateral trade from current level of $2.7 billion to over $6 billion per annum within the next three years. They plan to achieve this by grant of MFN status to India that will allow replacement of the positive list with negative list while New Delhi will remove the NTBs.
Meanwhile, to another question, Hina said Pakistan wanted good relations with India by remaining committed to its principled stance on Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the will of the Kashmiri people. She further said the Jammu and Kashmir dispute had been discussed during all bilateral interactions between the two prime ministers during the past three years, as well as at the ministerial level.
There is nothing new and meaningful in the justifications mentioned to grant MFN status to India. There must be some other reason for this timing. I think Pakistan feels isolated after Americans showed red eyes so this is an attempt to please India to stay impartial in this US-Pakistan love-hate game.
How does it matter whether Pakistan gives MFN status to India or not? India gave MFN status to Pakistan long back. Gone are the days when India would seek pleasures from things like MFN status from Pakistan. Its a pure business. Do it if suits you or forget about it, if it hurts you… Simple…
I agree with Rajendra. This announcement is just to please India. Otherwise, India has not moved an inch from its stance on Kashmir or ready to offer any other favors to Pakistan. Pakistan should have declared India a MFN when India gave this status to Pakistan. India's position as a business giant is so strong that "such favors" from Pakistan are not needed any more.
In India we don't mix politics with business. Though we have many problems with China, but still we do massive trade with them. Kashmir issue has nothing to do with trade. Two are totally different issues. Trader will sell his produce to anyone and anywhere if there is profit.. simple.. If you mix emotions in trade, loss is only yours. My advice to Pakistan will be that maintain your positions on political issues without hurting your economy. Sending terrorists will not address any of the issues. We need to learn to live with differences without loosing dignity.
I agree with you. China is a success story because it has not entered in any major disputes. America has ruined herself economically by entering disputes all over.
Can your paper print photograph of the Foreign Minister of Pakistan suiting the stature of her job. Ms Khar is the Foreign Minister and not a seductive Bollywood actress.
@Mohsin & Rajendra Kakhande: We are exporter of Reactive Dyes. From where to get Positive/Negative list issue by Pakistani Govt.? Eager to know that MFN status really give advantage to us or not.
@ TrulySpeaking: 😀 She is y/our Bhabhi-jaan, not a Menaka – a seductive divine female
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